


Clone Wars One Shots #1

by crashong



Series: Clone Wars One Shots [1]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: 420 blaze it, Ahsoka Returns, Ahsoka left the order, Ahsoka thinks hair is weird, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Road Trip, Anakin Skywalker Needs a Hug, Anakin Skywalker has daddy issues, Birthday Party, Bugs, CT-27-5555 | Fives | ARC-5555 Lives, CT-7567 | Rex Needs a Hug, Canon Divergence - Star Wars Expanded Universe, Charades, Chugging Contest, Clone Wars, Clone Wars finale had me devastated so I needed to write this, Clones deserve more thanks, Cody can bake change my mind, Coruscant (Star Wars), Dynamic Duo, Everyone Needs A Hug, Fighting, Fives and Ahsoka, Fives be wildin, Fives breaks his helmet, Fives drinks wine, Fives has booze, Fives is the prank king, Fives thinks everything is funnier than it should be, Fox gets punched in the face and I have no regrets, Gen, Hide and Seek, I fucking hate Umbara, Jaig Eyes, Jedi, Keldabe Kiss, Kix can drink an godly amount of shots, Lightsabers, No one is dead because I love them too much, One Shot, Padawan (Star Wars), Pastries, Plo Koon is the Wolfpack's dad, Post-Order 66, Rex needs caf, Rex x pipe, Sad boi hours, Sleepy Cuddles, Sneaking Out, Snowball Fight, Star Wars: The Clone Wars Season 7 Spoilers, Tag, Tattoos, Thank Force Pong Krell is dead, The Force, The Jedi Council can be annoying as hell, Thunderstorms, Toast, Umbara (Star Wars), Wolffe and Fox are suckers for pastries and nothing can change my mind, caf, clone cuddles, clone wars one shot, fail army, i miss my babies, no beta we die like clone troopers, poor Kix my mans needs a break, poor Rex o'l boy, snuggles, tooka cat
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-31
Updated: 2020-09-03
Packaged: 2021-03-03 03:14:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 100
Words: 66,326
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24477781
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/crashong/pseuds/crashong
Summary: Just me writing about my clone wars babies because I love and miss themRated teen and up only because I like to swear lmfaoAlso be aware that in these fics, canon is irrelevantI am always taking requests for one-shots so feel free to comment any :)
Series: Clone Wars One Shots [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1907221
Comments: 570
Kudos: 585





	1. Favors

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fives and Jesse have an arm-wrestling competition

"How much you wanna bet?" Fives smirked at his brother. Fellow members of the 501st gathered around the mess hall table to where he sat across from Jesse.

"Are you sure you wanna do this, vod? You're gonna lo-ose," Jesse teased. Fives leaned across the table to come face-to-face with Jesse's shit-eating grin.

"Bring it on, Jess," The crowd around them had grown, many of them making bets between themselves; betting droid fingers or any small collectibles they had found throughout their many battles.

"Alright then, but I'll warn you, I am the reigning champ," He shifted his arms to rest on the table, "If I win I want the best bottle in your booze stash," the other clones around him murmured and various 'oohs' and 'ahs' came from the horde. Fives narrowed his eyes at Jesse, trying to make up his mind.

"Fine. But if I win, you owe me a favor," Fives said proudly pointing his finger at Jesse then to himself. He could hear Hardcase snickering behind him along with most of the other clones. He jabbed his elbow back and hit his codpiece forcing a muffled cry and curse.

"You want a favor? Really Fives?" laughed Jesse, "You're serious?" Fives nodded.

"A favor, anything, anytime, anywhere,"

"Alright," Jesse shrugged. Fives moved his elbow to the middle of the table, his hand open; ready to clasp Jesse's. The two brothers grasped each other and Kix leaned over Fives' shoulder to commence the match.

"3, 2, 1, go!" counted Kix.

Fives and Jesse's hands remained in the middle, neither one having enough force to move the others. Fives glanced from their hands to Jesse's face which displayed an immense amount of overconfidence and soon found it too irritating to keep looking at. Both of the ARCs continued to battle it out in the empty messing hall save for the group of tense clones gathered around to watch.

Fives glanced up behind Jesse as Captain Rex walked by sipping from his cup of caf and eyeing the ongoing arm wrestle. Fives opened his mouth to speak to his captain but was quickly denied by Rex's hand telling him to stop.

"I haven't drunk enough caf to deal with you Fives," he continued his slow walk past the table to the other side of the mess hall, "And I don't think I ever will," he sighed and mumbled something about needing sleep and made his way out.

"Poor Rex man. He deals with too much of your shit, Fives," said Hardcase.

"We all do," muttered one of the clones. Fives was too focused to respond.

Some of the clones voiced their excitement as Jesse began to take the upper hand, forcing Fives' hand down a few inches.

"Take that di'kut!" said Jesse.

"You haven't won yet," Fives responded. He continued to try and push Jesse back but continued to fail. Jesse pushed his hand closer and closer to the table. Most of the clones who had bet against Jesse were shaking their heads and muttering curses under their breath.

"Damn, I really thought Fives could pull it off this time, but I guess not," said Kix.

"Better get ready to pay up, Kix," said Hardcase almost too happily.

"Will you shut your kriffing mouth Hardcase, you're distracting me," said Fives.

"Distracting you from what? Loosing your best bottle?" Fives rolled his eyes.

"Come on Fives just give in and make this easy," said Jesse hardly letting up on the pressure driving Fives' hand towards the table. Fives only gritted his teeth and put all his force and focus into moving Jesse's hand.

Slowly but surely Jesse began to falter and their hands slipped back to the middle and slowly tipped to Jesse's side. Fives grinned up at his brother and continued to push his hand down to the table.

"No, no, no, no, Jesse what the hell are you doing?!" Hardcase yelled moving his hand to cradle his forehead. Kix shook his head and laughed. Fives continued to move Jesse's hand closer and closer to the table until he slammed it down.

"Haha, I win! Who's the reigning champ now, huh?" Fives stood from his seat and stepped onto the table, soaking in his glory. A few clones clapped but most groaned at their loss. Hardcase took his helmet from under his arm and threw it on the ground, stomping away towards the door, Kix trailing close behind awaiting his prize as Rex walked through the door on his way back to the caf machine.

"Get off the table, Fives," Rex said not even taking a glance at him.

"Yes sir, sorry sir," He replied quickly stepping down and returning to his seat.

"Hey, Rex! What cup are you on?" Shouted a clone from the other side of the mess hall.

"I don't even know anymore," He muttered earning a few laughs from the men, "By the way, Fives," Rex finished the last the caf from his cup, "You need to go clean up your mess in the hangar," Jesse raised an eyebrow.

"What mess, Captain?"

"Don't even start, Fives, you know exactly what I'm talking about," Fives cleared his throat and turned to his brother.

"Hey, Jess?" Fives' smile widened.

"What Fives?"

"Could you do me a favor?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!


	2. Goodbye

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This one contains spoilers for the last episode of Clone Wars season 7 "Victory and Death"
> 
> Ahsoka and Rex go their separate ways after Order 66 and they also hug because we didn't get to see them hug at the end and I needed that

Rex gazed at her as she looked over their fallen brothers. Neither had spoken a word to each other when they pulled their bodies from the crash. It's not like there were any words to be said. He watched her as she dropped a lightsaber in the sand and slowly turned to walk back to the ship.

Ahsoka's steps were heavy with defeat: each one more difficult than the last. She couldn't bear to look Rex in the eye as she trudged towards him.

He watched her every step until she was beside him. She then turned to look back at the graves. Two old friends stared upon what they both wished to be a nightmare. Neither dared to breath; neither dared to speak. They each buried a part of themselves along with their brothers. Perhaps they buried their old selves and someone new, someone different, had been born from it: someone who would never be the same.

Ahsoka turned to Rex, and they looked into each other eyes; neither knowing what to do or where to go. She stepped towards him slightly, still holding his gaze until they were close enough to share a breath. Ahsoka leaned into him, tucking her montrals under his chin and wrapped her arms around him in a tight embrace. He coiled his own around her shoulders and over her rear lek. He looked out behind her at the slowly decaying Venator.

The pair stood there: waiting for something: anything. Ahsoka's eyes began to water and she only gripped Rex tighter.

Moments passed, the wind picked up, and they both knew it was time to leave. The Republic was no longer, and something much worse had arisen from its ashes.

Rex was first to break the silence, "What are we going to do?" He croaked out, his voice almost not familiar with the ability to speak. Ahsoka pulled back to face him and wiped the tears from her cheeks. It pained Rex to have to see Ahsoka like this; someone so strong and so brave be so vulnerable and broken.

"I don't know, Rex," she whispered. She turned back for one final glance at Jesse and the others before turning back to him, "I don't know," her words were filled with grief.

"They'll come for you," Rex could barely stand to get the words out of his mouth.

"I know," she moved towards the Y-Wing and proceeded to climb into the gunner's seat. Rex followed her lead and climbed into the pilot's seat; starting up the engines.

"Where to Commander?"

"You don't have to call me Commander, Rex. Not anymore," silence overcame them both as Rex plotted a course to the outer rim and went into hyperspace. No words were shared on the journey.

\----------------------------------------

They fell out of hyperspace and Rex proceeded to land on a nearby planet. Ahsoka stepped out of the Y-Wing as Rex kitted down his clone armor and put on a spare cloak he found in the Y-Wing. He followed her into the small village; both pulled their hoods over their heads.

"I need to go into hiding," Ahsoka whispered to him, "Whatever the Republic has become... they're going to hunt down force-users," she shook her head, "I have to disappear,"

Rex wanted to deny everything that she was saying but he knew it to be true. She wasn't safe here. Maybe not anywhere.

"I need to get further into the outer rim. Maybe some uninhabited planet..." she trailed off. She looked up at him, "Come with me,"

He blinked, trying to comprehend what she had just said, "As much as I would like to, it's too dangerous. A clone and an ex-Jedi is the perfect combination for trouble. Besides... I might be able to find others... Get their chips out," He looked at her as they continued to walk through the village. She only nodded.

They continued to walk throughout the village; asking off-worlders and traders where they were going next. Ahsoka eventually found someone willing to take her further into the outer rim: to Thabeska.

Ahsoka turned to face him before she boarded the ship. "I'm gonna miss you, Rex," she looked up at him and threw her arms around his neck, breathing in his scent, wondering if this would be their final goodbye.

"I'm gonna miss you too, Ahsoka," Rex spoke into the side of her lek. The ship's engines began to purr and that was her cue to leave. She pulled away from him and took one more long look at his face; trying to burn it into her memory.

Ahsoka walked up the ramp and paused to turn and look at him once more. Perhaps the last time, she thought to herself.

"Goodbye, Rex ol' boy," she smiled down at him and he returned the gesture. Rex watched the door close in front of his Commander and waited until the ship was beyond the planet's atmosphere before walking back to the Y-Wing.

Perhaps that would be the last time he ever laid eyes on her, but some small part of him knew that maybe, just maybe, that wouldn't be the last Rex saw of Ahsoka Tano.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading!


	3. Late Night Thoughts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rex and Ahsoka talk about life after the war

Rex tossed and turned in his cot, restless and awake: ready for action when there was none to be had. The rustling of his sheets echoed throughout the barracks and he was sure it could be heard by everyone in the room. Rex and his brothers never truly fell into a deep sleep. Sure they slept, but their ears were tuned to hear even the slightest of movements. War was what they were built for - made for - so it never seemed to leave them.

"Will you stop being so kriffing loud," Fives said harshly earning him a few sleepy agreements from the pitch-black room. Rex groaned and sat up in his cot. He stood wearily and felt around the room for the door. He pressed the panel and was met with the brightly lit hallway, the door whooshing shut behind him. He heard a few of his men sigh through the wall and felt relieved that they could now get some sort of rest.

"Finally," he heard Fives huff.

He made his way to the sparring room hoping that maybe Cody or Wolffe happened to be up, but to his dismay, it was empty - save for a small figure looking out the window at the far end of the room. He stepped closer, realizing it was his Commander.

"Commander? What are you doing up this late?" He spoke.

"Hello to you too, Rex," she glanced over her shoulder to look at him, then turned back.

"You didn't answer my question, Commander," he moved beside her and followed her gaze to the city-life of Coruscant. Speeders and ships of every kind flew below them and below that, the bustling city streets of the Republic Capitol. The lights of buildings and signs stretched far into the horizon where they became mere streaks of blues and reds. He looked up to the sky where more ships flew; clouding the night sky.

"I couldn't sleep. Guessing you couldn't either?" Her eyes followed the speeders in the distance.

"No. Boys would have kicked me out if stayed any longer anyway," he let out a laugh. They stood in silence for a while: gazing out at the night-life.

"I wish this war would end, Rex," she shook her head, "There's been enough of it," she glanced at him but he continued to look out the window.

A few moments passed before he spoke quietly, "I wouldn't know what to do if this war ended. We clones were made for one thing... I don't know what would happen if that one thing were to suddenly disappear," he dipped his head and stared at his folded hands on the windowsill, "Don't get me wrong, I don't like fighting a war, but... we've never known anything else,"

"I understand. More than you know. Ever since I first became a padawan all I knew was war and battle. The Jedi aren't peacekeepers anymore - we're soldiers," she breathed deeply, calming herself, then paused before she continued, "What do you want to do after the war? Where do you want to go?"

"To be honest, I've never really thought about it. Considering the fact that I might not make it to the end of this war... I find it best to stay in the moment. Not get my hopes up," Ahsoka wanted to scold him for thinking that he might be killed but she knew it was all too real. A life of war gives no mercy to anyone, "Maybe I'd go to some planet in the outer rim... Maybe with a few brothers. Just live," Rex smiled at the thought of it.

"That sounds nice,"

"What about you?"

"I don't know," Rex hadn't considered the fact that she was a Jedi and didn't have free reign like he hoped he would have. She would still be a peacekeeper - whatever that is. He wondered if even she knew what that was, "Maybe I'll do the same as you. A life away from the order sounds," she paused, "Comforting," she bathed in the feeling of a life lived the way she wanted it to be lived. They both bathed in the feeling of a life that felt so foreign: like it was a lifetime away.

"We should get some sleep," she said. Rex nodded and shifted his weight. They both walked to the door and parted their ways, Rex going back to the barracks, and Ahsoka going back to what Rex guessed would be the temple.

Rex found his way back to the barracks and pushed a button on the control panel. He moved through the open doorway where he most likely woke everyone in the room.

"Damn it, Rex, I was actually asleep for once," Fives' muffled voice was one he knew all too well. Many other clones groaned and switched the side of which they were sleeping on.

Rex made his way back to his cot and laid down, tucking his hands under his head and focusing up on the ceiling. To his surprise, he fell into a light sleep rather quickly. He dreamed of a life with his brothers far away from Coruscant. Far away from the people and the city noises. Far away from his duties as Captain. He dreamed of a place where all he could hear was the rustling of grass and all he could see when he looked up was the stars.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!


	4. Shenanigans

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fives thinks it's a good idea to prank his captain (warning: it is not)
> 
> I needed to write something to cheer myself up because I was thinking about how much I miss the clone wars so this is it.
> 
> Also in this story calling a clone by his number is the equivalent of your mom calling you by your full name.

"This is the stupidest prank I've ever kriffing heard of," Echo said bluntly.

"It's not stupid," Fives defended.

"Replacing the sugar packets with salt packets is not a good idea,"

"What do you mean not a good idea? The boys need a good laugh,"

"They do, but not from our captain trying to kill you after he takes his first sip of caf," Echo leaned against the counter watching Fives place the salt packets into the small container.

"Fives! He's on his way," said Jesse as he ran through the door. Fives quickly finished setting up his prank and moved closer to the door to make his escape once he had seen the reaction on his commanding officer's face.

Captain Rex trudged into the mess hall and made straight for the caf machine.

"Morning Captain," Fives said hiding his grin.

"Morning Fives," he responded, clear he was in desperate need of more sleep. Rex pulled a mug from the shelf and picked up the pot of caf. Fives watched eagerly and Echo only shook his head. Rex reached over to the container and pulled out a handful of what he thought were sugar packets: too tired to realize they weren't. 

With each packet the captain poured into his mug, Fives' smile grew wider. He finished stirring the drink and removed the spoon. Rex turned around to lean on the counter and lifted the mug of caf to his lips. He looked around the room, "Why are you all looking at me?" Of course, everyone was aware of what Fives had done. 

The captain took a sip from his mug, immediately gagged, and spewed a plume of caf all over a nearby table. Fives let out his laugh that he had been holding back and quickly made his way out the door.

Rex coughed then sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose and set his mug down. He inhaled deeply and the remaining clones in the mess hall tensed, "FIIIIIIIIIIVES!!!!!!!" He rushed to the door in hot pursuit.

"ARC-Trooper 5555, get your ass over here right now!" Rex stormed down the hallway in pursuance of Fives speed-walking ahead of him. Rex picked up his pace as did Fives then slowly broke into a run. The other clones in the hallway only bothered with a glance at the Captain of the 501st sprinting down the hallway, knowing he could only be chasing one person. 

Fives turned the corner and continued to run down the hallway until he was met with a dead-end and a very unhappy captain behind him. 

Fives turned around slowly and gave his captain a shy grin, rubbing the back of his neck. Rex stalked towards Fives, breathing heavily.

"So uh, Captain. Am I uh...In trouble?" 

"Take a guess, Fives,"

"No?"

"Take another guess,"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! Any feedback would be greatly appreciated!


	5. Snowball Fight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ahsoka and the 501st are forced to take shelter in a cave and wait out the brutal storm. The next morning, Fives proceeds to start a snowball fight.

"Any luck with comms?" Rex crossed his arms and put his hands under his armpits, trying to preserve the little warmth he had.

"The storm is only just starting to set in, but I can't reach the Resolute. We'll just have to wait it out until it passes," said Ahsoka, shivering in her parka.

"So we're stuck on this cold ass planet until backup arrives?" asked Fives.

"Yes, so make yourself at home," Rex replied, earning multiple grumbles and sighs from the men of the 501st. They had made camp in a cave at the base of a mountain, the high winds outside forcing them to find cover.

Ahsoka put down the datapad and trudged over to one of the small fires they had set up, basking her gloved hands in the heat. She sat down against the wall of rock behind her, with Rex and Fives in tow. They slumped down beside her, both of them shivering at the sudden drop in temperature. 

"This is gonna be one hell of a storm," said Jesse from across the cave, leaning against Kix and Hardcase, trying to keep warm. Most of the men had made groups of 3 or 4 and huddled together for warmth. Echo scooted his way closer to Fives, and the four of them pressed against each other, trying to conceal as much body heat as they could. Ahsoka pulled her knees to her chest and tugged her hood further over her head. 

Many of the other clones had either nodded off into a light slumber or continued to whisper amongst themselves. Ahsoka, Rex, and Fives chatted while Echo drifted asleep and slumped against his brother. Eventually, the weariness of that day caught up to the other three. Ahsoka's head drooped onto Rex's shoulder, and Fives leaned on hers, snoring quite loudly into her montral. The four snuggled up for the night, hoping they would make it through.

\--------------------

Light shined through the opening of the cave, prompting groans and yawns from many of the men. They had made it through the night, and the storm had ceased for the time being. 

Ahsoka cracked her eyes open and inhaled the crisp, chilly air, much warmer than it had been the previous night. She sighed and lifted her head from Rex's shoulder, waking him as well. Chatter and footsteps started to fill the cave as many others awakened, except Fives, who continued to snore on Ahsoka's other shoulder.

"Wake up sleepyhead," Echo slapped Fives' cheek lightly, and he awoke with a startled yelp.

"What the hell, vod," Fives rubbed his eyes, and Echo only laughed. 

"You sleep well?" Ahsoka turned her head to Rex.

"I mean it was a little cold for my liking," he grinned and she nudged him with her shoulder.

Ahsoka stood, stretched her arms out, and walked over to the large rock posing as a setup for their communication devices. She fiddled with the datapad, trying to find a signal back to the ship. She spent a few minutes adjusting it, but eventually found the frequency of the Resolute.

Ahsoka picked up her communicator and attempted to make contact with her master. 

"Master? Master, are you there?" she got some feedback but was able to reach him.

"Snips! Is that you?" 

"Yes, Master, it's me. I think the storm has passed. We're ready for pick up; I'm sending the coordinates now," she pressed a few buttons on the datapad. 

"We got your location. Our scanners are showing the possibility of another storm hitting soon, so we'll have to wait a little longer to make sure we're in the clear before we come to get you. Skywalker, out," the comm made a small beep, and Ahsoka placed it back on the rock. 

Fives wandered to the mouth of the cave and turned his head upward to face the sky.

"Doesn't look like there's another storm to me. Sky is clear," the ARC leaned down to pick something up off the ground then stood up. With his arms crossed behind his back, he waltzed back to where Jesse, Rex, and Echo were standing, backs to him. He stopped a few feet away from the group.

"Hey, Jess," Jesse turned to face Fives whose smile had turned mad.

"Wha-," was the only thing Jesse got out of his mouth before Fives attacked him with a snowball right to the face. Jesse cursed and stumbled back a few steps, "Ohh, you've done it now Fives. Your ass is done," Jesse wiped the snow from his face, shoved his helmet on, and eagerly chased after Fives who had already made it outside the cave and was laughing hysterically. Many of the other clones followed suit and ran to go join the fun.

Ahsoka and Rex shared a look and a smile, then they too, accompanied their brothers into a brutal snowball fight.

\-------------------------

"FOR THE REPUBLIC!!!" Fives shouted as he and his brothers rose over the barrier of snow they had built and threw snowball after snowball at the opposing side.

Ahsoka and Rex crouched underneath their barrier and waited for the right time to pop up. Rex stood, pulling back his arm but it was too late as one of Fives' snowballs hit his helmet and he fell back down, Ahsoka laughing beside him.

"HAHA, TAKE THAT CAPTAIN," Fives bellowed from the other side. Ahsoka took her opportunity and stood, ready to fire, her aim locked on Fives. Fives was hit square in the helmet so hard that he fell back on his ass, and Rex wondered if she had used the force to strengthen her throw. Soon after, she was hit multiple times in the chest and face causing her to sink back under the snow wall. She laughed and brushed the snow off her parka. 

Soon enough, the familiar hum of Republic gunships entered the atmosphere and the match had come to an end. Clones rushed back into the cave, gathered what things they had left, and ran back to the landing site. 

Ahsoka, Rex, and Fives stepped onto the gunship, the doors sliding shut, and were relieved as the space became flooded with heat. 

"Ok, so can we agree that my team won," Fives said proudly.

Rex smirked, "Like hell you did."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed!


	6. Captain vs. Commander

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ahsoka and Rex spar
> 
> Sorry if this is bad, I've never written a fight scene before :/

Jesse frantically tapped the side of Ahsoka's leg, which was hooked around his neck, keeping him on the ground. She released him from her grip, and he gasped for air. Ahsoka stood and brushed the dust from the floor off her legs, then pulled Jesse up.

"Who's next?" Ahsoka looked at the faces of the clones surrounding them as Jesse limped back to the edge of the circle. Many stepped back or avoided her gaze, but one stood forward and crossed his arms. Fives. She narrowed her eyes at him and crouched into a fighting position: her arms at the ready. He too crouched and they idly circled each other waiting to see who would pounce first.

"Make this a fair fight, Commander. No usage of the Force,"

"I want to beat you fair and square, Fives. Fortunately, I don't need the Force to do that," A few 'oohs' came from the crowd of clones and Ahsoka could tell they were getting excited. 

"Oh, ya? We'll see about that," Fives lunged forward, aiming for Ahsoka's shoulder, but she dodged easily. Ahsoka, in turn, swung her fist: aimed high at his head, Fives ducked, then swept his leg under her. She jumped, avoiding the embarrassment of falling flat on her face and landed quietly.

The two continued to attack and dodge one another, both landing a few hits here and there. 

"What's going on here?" Jesse jumped at the voice of his captain, who had come in unnoticed and stood right behind his shoulder.

"Oh, well, uh," Jesse cleared his throat, "Hardcase challenged her to a fight and once he lost it sort of became a competition to see who could beat her," Rex only nodded, and remained where he was, watching intently.

Ahsoka, catching Fives off guard and using his tactic against him, swept her left leg under him with full force, and he came crashing to the ground with a yelp. She quickly moved on top of him and pinned his arms behind his back, pressing him to the ground.

"You're beaten," she was breathing heavily, sweat dripping down the side of her face. Underneath her, Fives gritted his teeth and attempted to push her off, but she held fast, " _ Admit it _ ," she pushed his cheek harder onto the mat until he gave. 

"Fine, Fine. You win," he said begrudgingly. Ahsoka released his arms and stepped off him. Fives pushed himself off the mat and massaged his jaw. 

"I will give it to you though, Fives, you are a good fighter," 

"Ya, ya, save it, Commander," she laughed, and he clapped her on the shoulder. Fives' attention quickly drew to his captain standing beside Jesse, "Oooo, has the captain come to join the fun?" all eyes moved to stare at him. Rex raised an eyebrow and moved his glance to Ahsoka, then Fives, then back to Ahsoka, "Or is he too scared to take on his commanding officer?" 

Fives knew that Rex and Ahsoka had sparred before, but now he was just egging them on. The circle of men had grown bigger now, all of them waiting for a response from the captain. 

Rex cracked his neck and knuckles; releasing the tension, then stepped forward into the circle, ready to take her on. The horde of 501st clones lost their shit at that. This was going to be one hell of a fight. Two of their best - the captain and the commander - ready to battle it out.

Rex was sure there were significantly high bets placed  _ against _ him, for his commander was highly skilled, but some part of him thought that the odds might be in his favor. 

Ahsoka cocked her head, studying every one of his movements keenly. She knew his moves - his style - which would have given her the upper hand if he had not known hers as well.  _ Finally, a fair fight _ , she mused to herself. 

The match started as the previous one with Fives had: slow. Rex and Ahsoka took small jabs at each other, trying to find a weak spot or catch the other off-guard. That all changed when Ahsoka attacked him head-on, aiming for his head and then chest when he dodged. He blocked the punches aimed towards his chest and she swung a leg up across his head. 

He caught her boot mid-air, startling her as she tried to pull it from his hands. He quickly turned her foot causing the rest of her body to lose balance and fall to the mat. 

Ahsoka's hands flew out in front of her to catch her fall and as she did, Rex moved closer, trying to pin her to the floor as she had with Fives. Ahsoka rolled over onto her side and kicked the back of his knees, causing them to buckle. He fell back against the mats trying to regain focus, but it was too late. She scrambled on top of him, putting a foot on his ab plate, grabbing his wrists, and pressing him into the ground. 

"Rex, that was too eas-" Ahsoka didn't have time to finish her thought as Rex rolled over, pinning her underneath him. He pressed his knee into her thigh and pulled his arm to lie across her throat; applying the smallest amount of pressure.

Ahsoka struggled, trying to flip them back over but he held her firmly. 

"Too easy, huh?" Rex smiled down at her. She stuck her tongue out at him and Rex did the same as he eased off of her and grabbed her hand to pull her up. 

"Good job, Captain," Fives smirked and slapped him on the back of the head.

"Ow,"

"I could've done it better though," he shrugged.

Ahsoka and Rex only scowled at him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed and as always thank you for reading!


	7. Gone With No Farewell

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The reaction of the 501st to Ahsoka leaving the Jedi Order.
> 
> Kinda hate myself for writing something sad but I did anyway. Sorry in advance :'(

Anakin trudged from the Temple to the barracks, working up the courage to speak to his men. After all the things that had happened, she had still chosen to leave. After everything they had been through together. Anakin couldn't blame Ahsoka for her choice, he couldn't deny the few times he'd thought about leaving the Order to be with Padme. He was angry when he knew he shouldn't be. Angry at the Council for not trusting her when all she was, was honest and kind - not a traitor. He wanted to go after her. Rip the city apart to find her, but he knew he shouldn't. _It's not the Jedi way to be angry_ , he thought to himself. But he knew she belonged with him. She belonged in the Order. She belonged with her men. Not wandering off someplace on Coruscant. 

He stepped into the barracks. The men of the 501st were winding down or already asleep in their bunks. 

"General? What are you doing here so late?" Rex paused. "Sir? Are you alright?" it was clear to Anakin that Rex could see past is disguise. His second in command knew him better than anyone.

"All of you gather 'round. I have... news," He didn't quite know what to call Ahsoka leaving the Order. Clones moved from their bunks closer to where he was standing, some leaning against the wall or sitting on cots, and some remained standing, "Commander Tano-" he flinched at the fact that he called her commander when she was one no longer, "Has left the Jedi Order," various murmurs and questions erupted from the men.

"She-She left?" Rex looked at him, stunned.

"She left voluntarily. She will no longer be with us. I'm sorry to bring the news this late, but I knew you all needed to know. Get some rest, men," Anakin couldn't bear to speak about it any longer, so he turned quickly, walking past the rows of cots as his men gazed at him. He knew no one in this room would sleep, himself included.

Once the door had shut behind Anakin, the room went dead silent. Everyone shared the same look in their eyes as glances were exchanged.

"Alright, boys, back to your bunks," Rex didn't know what else to say to his brothers. Hell, he didn't even know what to say to himself. She had left without even saying goodbye to any of them. _Why would she bother saying goodbye to us_ , he thought to himself. _We're just clones after all_. He sighed and slumped down on his bunk, running his hands through his close-cropped hair.

"Hey, Rex?" Fives looked over at him, his voice filled with something Rex thought was unfamiliar to Fives: sorrow, "You want in?" he motioned to the card game he, Kix, Jesse, Hardcase, and Echo were playing. Fives waited for a response. Seeing as he got none, he spoke again, "It'll help take your mind off it. Might as well do something, it's not like you're going to sleep."

Rex supposed he was right and slid off his bunk onto the floor. Kix and Jesse scooted over, making room for him in the circle. Fives dealt him in slowly. The six of them played in silence for a while, none of them being able to pick the right words until Echo whispered, "Do you think she'll come back?" They all paused for a moment. Hands went still as they reached for cards and eyes were turned down towards the floor.

"Why would she?" Kix said as he suddenly remembered how to move and drew from the pile, "She was accused of treason against the Republic. Who would want to stay in an order that thinks you're a traitor?"

"But General Skywalker said she left voluntarily," Echo countered.

"All we know is that she was accused, but left on her terms. We don't know if she was kicked out or was going to be," Fives was cut off.

"What does it matter?!" Rex startled the others, then took a deep breath in, calming himself, "Arguing about it won't change what happened. She's gone," his tone ended the conversation and they continued playing long into the night.

\--------------------------------------

An eerie mood encompassed the planet that night. Light rain and fog consumed the air. The rumble of thunder could be heard in the distance as if the sky knew they were in troubling times. Not a single clone spoke until the storm had cleared, and the rosy, pink light of dawn flooded through the windows. 

Their minds seemed to stray from their beloved commander leaving them, although the thought would always float around in the back of their heads: never really disappearing. But alas, the war was calling them, and the 501st was back to business.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for stopping by on my work!


	8. Time For A New Paint Job

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kind of a follow-up of the last chapter where Ahsoka comes back in Season 7 to capture Maul and they all paint their armor because they love her. 
> 
> There are a few clones here who I know aren't actually in Season 7 but I don't care because I love them too much to not include them.

" _ Who's _ back?!" Rex came to a dead stop in the middle of the hallway, not believing the words he had just heard.

"Ahsoka. Ahsoka's back," Anakin said over the comm. It was quite clear that he, too, had trouble comprehending her the situation. 

"The men will surely be excited to see her," He smiled softly, grasping onto the reality that she had returned. He had wondered if this day would ever come. They all had, "Do you know why?" He was curious about what had prompted her to make contact with the Jedi.

"Her and Lady Bo Katan believe they can capture the renegade Sith Lord Maul. They're on their way here as we speak,"

"I'll let the men know, General," Their comm channel closed with a beep, and Rex tuned it to a frequency that Jesse, Fives, Echo, and many others were on. 

"This is Rex, do you read me?" He received numerous replies of 'yes' and 'yes sirs' from his brothers, "Commander Tano's coming back for a visit," 

" _ Who's _ coming back for a  _ what _ ?" Fives responded utterly astounded.

"The Commander is coming back for a visit, Fives," Echo repeated.

"Ya, Echo, no shit, I heard him the first time," Rex could almost  _ feel _ Fives rolling his eyes. 

"Then why did you ask-"

"Forget it, Echo,"

The men hadn't bothered to ask why she was coming back, for they were happily satisfied that she was coming back at all. The boys chatted over the comms for a while, sharing their eagerness and enthusiasm, all frantic to see her. Those not on the frequency were either patched in or told personally about the news.

Kix spoke, trying to quiet the channel, then said proudly, "I think it's time for a new paint job."

\-------------------------------------------------------

"Give me the kriffing brush, Hardcase," Fives motioned for him to pass it across the table.

"Gimme a sec," Hardcase whined as he finished up the final touches on his bucket. Word had spread fast around the ship, so much so that dozens of clones had gathered in the mess hall to paint Ahsoka's facial markings on their helmets and bits of blue along the rest of their armor. Loyalty meant everything to the clones, and this was the best way they could think to show it.

"How does it look?" Hardcase turned his bucket around to show Fives and the others.

"What's that weird rectangle thing at the top?" Jesse pointed to the odd-looking shape.

"That's one of the diamonds on her forehead. Obviously,"

"Sure as hell doesn't look like a diamond to me," Jesse laughed.

"Do you even know what a diamond is?" Fives held the paintbrush covered in orange up to Hardcase, and he grabbed it, mumbling under his breath as he turned his helmet around to fix it.

"Why do I even bother with you two," 

"Men!" The door whooshed open as Rex stepped into the room, "To the main hangar, now!" 

The clones finished up their final touches, putting the paint and brushes away, and scrambled toward the hangar.

They all lined up in rows, facing a single door from which they knew their Commander would walk through. They desperately awaited her arrival, some tapping their foot against the ground or playing with their fingers. But in the end, when the door opened slowly, and she turned to gaze out at them, the look on her face was one they would never forget.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope this puts a smile on your face, and thank you for reading!


	9. Bugs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jesse does not like Bugs
> 
> Based on a true story where Jesse is me :)
> 
> Also, spider-roaches are like the Star Wars version of cockroaches

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If anyone has any ideas for one-shots they would like me to write, I would be very happy to do so because I'm always looking for new ideas so feel free to comment them :))

"What the-" Jesse's eyes widened and came face-to-face with the biggest spider-roach he had ever seen in his short-lived life, "SHIT," he swatted the bug off his pillow and moved away swiftly, causing him to tumble off of his bed and onto the floor with a loud thud.

"Jesse, what the hell are you doing, it's 2 in the morning," hissed Kix as he leaned down from the bunk above Jesse, rubbing his eyes. 

"I just saw the biggest spider-roach in my life," he hissed.

"Ya, ya, big deal, now go to bed and shut the kriff up,"

"But it's still on my bed!" he pointed helplessly at the bug, which roamed over his blanket. 

"Then kill it, Jess!" Kix pulled his pillow over his ears and curled up, hoping Jesse would get the message that he was done talking to him. 

"Kix? Kix, can you kill it for me?" Jesse pleaded, "Pleeeeeaaaaaase, Kix?" Kix groaned and hopped off his bunk, "Where are you going? Kix! Kix!" He had left the room.

_ He left me with the damn bug _ , Jesse mused to himself. Soon enough though, Kix returned with a clear glass and a piece of paper.

"If you're too scared to kill it, then just cover it with the glass, slide the paper under it, then put it outside or something,"

Kix handed him both objects, then climbed up onto his bunk. 

"But it's late! I don't want to go anywhere," He whined.

"Then just leave it on the floor," Kix had  _ clearly _ had enough of him, and Jesse decided to finally leave him alone.

Jesse gulped and stood, looking around for the bug. He found it towards the edge of his mattress, waiting patiently. He took the piece of paper and rolled it up, then knocked the bug off onto the floor. Once it hit the ground, it tried to scurry under his bunk, but he placed the glass over it before it had a chance to do so. He slid the glass along the floor so it lay beside the leg of the bunk, then checked his blanket for any other roaches.

Deciding his bed was clear, he climbed back in and soon found sleep.

\-----------------------------------------

When Jesse awoke, many clones were already milling about, kitting up their armor or talking with their bunkmate. He sat up, almost hitting his head on Kix's bunk, and stretched his back out to either side. He eyed the empty glass sitting on the floor-

_ It's  _ **_ e m p t y _ ** , he took a double-take on the glass that indeed no longer contained the roach. His eyes widened, "No, no, no, no, no, KIX! THE BUG KRIFFING DISAPPEARED!" He threw his blankets off himself, for he felt the strange sensation of tiny bug legs crawling up and down his body. Jesse shivered, relieved that there were none on him or his bed.

"Jess, it's just a bug, don't worry about it, you'll be fine," 

"FINE!?? IT WAS INSIDE A GLASS AND NOW IT"S  ** GONE ** !! HOW IS THAT EVEN POSSIBLE,"

Jesse continued to scream and panic throughout the rest of the day, while Kix remained quite calm, keeping his laughter to himself, for once Jesse had fallen asleep again, Kix had taken the roach outside and put the glass back on the floor: empty.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always thank you for reading!


	10. Stormy Weather

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More clone cuddles because I can't help myself <3

It seldom rained on the densely populated planet of Coruscant. It almost  _ never _ stormed. The bright light of lightning flashed through the curtains and the low boom of thunder echoed throughout the city. The rain came in thick sheets that bombarded the durasteel roofs of the barracks as if someone were dancing on top of them. Echo watched the raindrops as they slid down the windowpane, pretending they were racing each other to the bottom. He watched as they left trails of water behind, but joined new droplets as they continued their path to the edge of the window. Once Echo's gaze reached the bottom, the race would start all over again, his eyes soon moving to the newly formed droplets at the top of the window. 

Most clones didn't sleep during thunderstorms, for it was one of the few things they were afraid of. Of course, it was something they would never admit to being afraid of, but they were scared of it. Some stayed up playing cards or drawing designs for new gunship art or even their armor. Many took the time to clean their armor or blasters, and some even pulled out paint cans to do touch-ups. Others laid quietly on their bed, curled up in a ball, or lazily scrolled through the holonet. Many paused mid-sentence or jumped in their cots to the sound of lightning; Echo included. 

Echo stood from the small ledge by the window and made his way over to the bunk he shared with Fives. Not to his surprise, Fives's head and upper torso were dangling from the top bunk.

"Echo, Echo," Fives motioned for him to come over, "How long do you think I can keep my head like this before I die?" he said enthusiastically.

"Die?" Echo looked at him and then to Kix, dumbfounded. Rex sat propped up against the leg of Jesse and Kix's bunk, scratching tally marks into various pieces of his armor, clearly not bothered with the fact that Fives might kill himself.

"Ya, ya, Kix said when all the blood rushes to your head, it can make you die if you stay there long enough,"

"Is he kidding or actually serious because I can never tell," Echo said to Kix who was perched on his top bunk, scrolling through his datapad.

"He's being serious. He _could_ die if he stays there for too long," Kix said it like it was nothing.

"Captain here says I'll last less than five minutes and Jesse thinks I won't last two. What do you think?" Fives looked at Echo eagerly.

"I think you're stupid, vod," Echo ducked under Fives to sit on his bunk.

"Well I think-" the loudest crack of lightening that night sounded, causing four of them to flinch, and the other to come crashing down onto the floor. Jesse broke into laughter at Fives who sat up and rubbed his head.

"Oh shut it, Jesse," Fives sat cross-legged on the floor, looking around the room, "Can we have a sleepover?" 

"A what?" Rex looked at him, confused.

"A sleepover. Like where we all put our mattresses on the floor and tell stories or some shit like that,"

"Not exactly a sleepover, Fives," Kix said.

"You get the point," Fives stood and began to heave his mattress off of the frame and let it drop to the ground with a thud. The others looked at each other and decided it couldn't hurt to do the same, and soon enough, the room was filled with mattresses strewn across the floor. They all sat close: many wrapped up in their blanket or leaning on the brother next to them. The five of them lay scattered across one another: Fives leaning against Rex's chest, Echo snuggled somewhere between them, and Kix and Jesse putting their pillows across Rex's legs and curling into the pile of clones. Some of them winced at the growing rumble of thunder but were immediately soothed by the closeness of their brothers. When they were cadets back on Kamino, the storms had always been horrid, but they had all felt better when they endured it together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed!


	11. Tiny Tooka

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Something cute that I had a lot of fun writing

"Guys, Guys! Look what I found!" Ahsoka quietly snuck into the barracks, holding a small brown bag against her stomach, "It's a tooka!" She squealed with excitement as she set the bag down on Echo's bed, opening it up to reveal a beautiful, blue tooka cat.

Fives leaned town from the top bunk and gasped, "IT'S SO CUTE!" 

"Why is there a tooka on my bed?" Echo wandered over to the crowd of 501st clones who had come to look. Kamino didn't have much by way of animals, save for Aiwhas, causing many clones to be quite amazed at the variety of animals both on Coruscant and on the planets they visited during missions. The tooka itself, took pride in the fact that it was being treated like royalty, as it was passed around the room.

"Aren't you the cutest little Tooka in the galaxy," Ahsoka cooed at the cat as it made its way back to her. She had found him in a back alley all alone and decided to bring him here, for she thought both the tooka and her men needed some cheering up.

With the room's focus on the cat, no one noticed Anakin when he walked through the door.

"What's going on in here?" He looked befuddled at the horde of clones in the middle of the room. 

"Uh, nothing, Master!" Ahsoka stepped out from inside the group to distract her master. Muffled voices saying 'hide the cat' and 'what do we do with it' emitted from the clones.

"Mhm. Sure, Snips," Anakin stepped closer to the crowd, eager to see what they were all concealing.

"Master, please, everything is fine, there's nothing to see here," Ahsoka pleaded, trying to pull him towards the door. The clones parted for Anakin as he made his way to the center to find Fives stuffing the tooka under his and Echo's bed.

Fives cleared his throat, "General,"

"Fives," Anakin acknowledged him, "What's under the bed?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Hmm? I'm not sure what you're talking about, General," Fives rubbed the back of his head.

"Fives," Anakin's tone turned serious. Fives gulped and pulled the tooka out from under the bed, removing it from the bag. The cat looked at Anakin then began to rub its head on Fives' leg, purring.

" _ That's _ what you were hiding?!" Fives flinched, "You were hiding  _ the most adorable _ tooka cat in the galaxy?!!" The room seemed to let out a relieved breath as Anakin leaned down to pet the tooka, "He's even 501st blue! A perfect little mascot,"

"You're not... mad, General?"

"How could I be mad when I'm looking at this cute face?" The tooka purred as Anakin rubbed its ears. The clones surrounding him exchanged glances.

"You're not going to make us get rid of it, are you, sir?" Echo piped in.

"No, of course not, but we should be careful to keep it out of sight," 

Ahsoka and the others were quite excited about this small victory of being able to keep a tooka cat. Many ran to the mess hall to fetch snacks for it to eat while others tied rocks or small objects to string and played with it. Rex even shined his flashlight along the walls, prompting laughter from the men when the tooka couldn't catch the light. The cat ended up biting Hardcase when he tried to feed him, earning the feisty cat the name Chomper. 

Chomper went on to be painted on armor and included in various gunship designs. The 501st now had their very own mascot whom they all treated as one of their own.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	12. Celebration

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I have a paper due tomorrow but writing this was far more important
> 
> I also believe that Fives is the kind of person who would say 'bruh' so I wrote it in

"Do I have to wear this thing?" Rex looked down at the apron embroidered with the words 'kiss the cook' that Ahsoka was tying around his neck.

When Fives turned around to look, he laughed so hard he fell into a coughing fit and nearly threw up in the sink. Once he had regained his control and managed to keep his breakfast down, he said, "Yes, because it makes me want to kiss you even more,"

They all looked at him, questioning what he had just said.

"I'm kriffing kidding, guys. Learn how to take a joke," Fives rolled his eyes.

"It's mandatory, Captain," Ahsoka told him.

"Then why are none of you wearing one?" They all disregarded his question as they began mixing ingredients for the cake.

\------------------------------------------

"What's baking powder?" Fives turned the small bottle in his hands, inspecting the labels.

"It's a powder used for baking, dipshit," Hardcase dipped a measuring cup into the bowl of sugar.

" _Bruh_ ," Fives scowled at Jesse. 

"Which one is a teaspoon?" Echo's gaze shifted between the two similar-looking spoons in either hand.

"The one that says teaspoon," Hardcase smirked, pouring the sugar into the mixing bowl.

"Stop being a smartass," Echo switched to his voice that everyone knew he used when he was being dead serious. The kitchen fell into an uncomfortable silence.

"What color frosting should we make?" Ahsoka flipped through the pages of instructions. 

Fives, Hardcase, Echo, Jesse, and Rex all simultaneously replied, "Blue."

"I guess it's settled, then," 

"Jess, can you get me two eggs," Hardcase pointed at the fridge.

"Sure, vod," He opened the door and reached inside pulling out two eggs and walked over to the mixer, "What do you do, just put them in the bowl and turn it on?"

"I guess," Hardcase took the eggs from Jesse and placed them in the bowl with the mixed butter, sugar, and vanilla. Ahsoka took a glance up at what they were doing and she sprinted across the kitchen to stop Hardcase's hand from turning the mixer to full speed. 

"No, no, no, no, you're supposed to _crack_ them," they both looked at her confused.

"Then why not make them pre-cracked?" Hardcase said.

_He makes a good point_ , she thought.

"It just doesn't work that way. Here, let me show you," Ahsoka proceeded to remove the eggs from the bowl, cracked them on the counter one at a time, then opened them over the bowl, allowing the actual egg to be put into the mixture, "There. Now you can mix it," she rinsed her hands off in the sink as Hardcase turned the mixer on.

Once the liquid mixture was fully combined, it was time to add the flour mixture. Rex walked over to the counter with the bowl and proceeded to pour it into the machine: which was on high. 

All Ahsoka saw was a plume of flour flying around the kitchen, dusting nearly everything in its path. The five of them coughed and spit out the flour, Ahsoka laughing, for she wasn't in the splash zone.

"Nice job, Rex, you got flour all over the kriffing kitchen!" Hardcase spat the flour from his mouth into the sink.

" _We're_ covered in flour, and you're worried about _the kitchen?!_ " Fives shook his head, trying to get out the flour which had landed in his hair.

"I knew that apron was a good idea, Rexster!" Ahsoka pointed at him. Rex looked down at himself, realizing she was right. The flour had mostly covered the apron, leaving his blacks relatively untouched.

"So what do we do with the batter? Do we put more flour in?" Jesse looked into the mixing bowl.

"If we do, we should turn it _down_ this time," Fives said. 

"No _shit_ , Fives,"

Ahsoka walked into the mess hall, finding it to be filled with various pieces of cloth being used as streamers and the words 'Happy Birthday, General!' painted on a banner hanging against the wall. She smiled at the fact that this was the clones' idea, not hers. She was on her way to retrieve her Master from the Temple, for today was his birthday.

\-------------------------------------

"Master! There you are!" Ahsoka ran down the hallway to catch up with Anakin.

"Hey, Snips. Any news on the next mission yet?" 

"No, Master, but I need you to come with me," Anakin yelped as she pulled him by his arm. 

Once they entered the clone facilities, Anakin became suspicious of the lack of clones milling about the hallways.

"Where is everyone, Snips?" Ahsoka continued to pull him towards the mess hall. When they arrived just outside the door, she brought him to a standstill. She then pulled a piece of dark cloth from her belt and began tying it over his eyes, "What are you doing?"

"Just go with it, Master," Ahsoka pressed the button on the control panel and lead Anakin into the room.

"You know I can sense the abundance of people in here, right?" The room remained silent as Ahsoka walked him towards a table with his semi-well-made cake on it. The blue frosting on it was starting to melt, but she knew the effort put into it by the five of them was unquestionable. Ahsoka counted down from 3 on her fingers, letting the clones know when to act. As she removed Anakin's blindfold, they all screamed, "SURPRISE!!!!" The pop of a champagne bottle from none other than Fives, along with cheers erupted from the room.

"Was this your idea?" Anakin turned to Ahsoka.

She raised her hands in defense, "Nope, this was all their idea," she grinned. Anakin shook his head and smiled.

"Well if this is gonna be a real party, Fives better bring the champagne over here,"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!


	13. A Little Bit Of Fun

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Who doesn't love to play a game of tag?
> 
> Fives kinda has a yolo moment

Fives, Jesse, and Hardcase cackled as they ran down a hallway of  _ The Resolute _ , Ahsoka close behind them. 

"The Commander's maaaaaaad," Fives looked over his shoulder to see a determined Ahsoka chasing after the three of them. The trip back to Coruscant after a mission was usually pretty dull, particularly if they were coming from the Outer Rim, where it would take them longer to get back to the Republic Capitol. Games would be played, and pranks would be pulled throughout the journey, but usually only between a few people. This trip was one of the rare occasions where a game would be played throughout the entire ship and even by the Generals themselves. In this case, the game was tag. What made the trip even more special was the fact that Plo Koon and the Wolfpack had joined the 501st on  _ The Resolute _ , and one of the few things someone had failed to do was work up the guts to tag Wolffe. For if someone were to tag Wolffe, they would have a bounty on their back till the day they died and maybe even after that.

Their chase continued throughout the ship, Ahsoka's focus not straying from the three of them. Eventually, Jesse and Hardcase split off from him, knowing Ahsoka wouldn't pursue them, for Fives was the one who tagged her. Fives lead her to the mess hall causing many clones who were there to scatter. 

"I've got you now, Fives," Ahsoka said with a devious smile.

"I don't think so, Commander," Fives and Ahsoka circled a table, each one mimicking the other's movements. They stared each other down from either side of the table, then Ahsoka leaped over and tackled him.

"You're it!" She squealed as she stood up and ran to the nearest door, keen to get away from him. He groaned and stood, internally damning himself at the absence of literally everyone. He walked out, finding the hallways empty, not to his surprise. He sighed, tapping his foot and jogged towards the main hangar. The problem with playing tag across the entire ship was that everyone knew who was it because, for some reason, everyone was  _ super _ into  _ sharing _ over the commlink so you couldn't pretend like you weren't it. And everyone knows where you're going or where you'd last been spotted, making it almost impossible to sneak up on someone. The few times they had played without comms had been  _ wild _ , to say the least. Fives knew the main hangar was one of the biggest places on board, and he knew there was bound to be someone there. 

A few pilots and maintenance workers who were excluded from the game were repairing various machines or painting new gunship art. He hoped none of them would give away his position to the few clones he saw walking around cautiously.  _ Kriff _ , Fives said to himself,  _ I just jinxed it _ . 

"Hey, Fives, is that you?" Hawk poked his head out from inside a gunship. Fives tried to shush him but failed miserably, "FIVES IS IN THE HANGAR!!!" Hawk's warning rang throughout the room and various 'kriffs' and 'oh shits' emitted from the few clones as they made for the closest door. 

"Thanks, vod," 

Hawk grinned and lazily saluted him, "Anytime,"

Fives walked to the middle of the hangar, knowing his cover was blown, but to his surprise, he spotted a clone that tagging him would either earn Fives a medal of bravery or the worst beating he ever had: Wolffe. Although if Wolffe were to kill him, he would be remembered as an honorary hero. He debated the risks and decided to kriff it. What did he have to lose other than his life?

He waltzed up to Wolffe in a Fives-like matter, and the Commander turned to face him. Wolffe looked him up and down then narrowed his eyes.

"I'm not playing your stupid game. If you lay a hand on me, you  _ lose _ it," Wolffe's tone made Fives almost want to back down. Almost.

"Well that's unfortunate, Commander," Fives clapped Wolffe on the shoulder, grinning like the craziest fool in the galaxy, "Because you're it,"

Fives didn't waste any time watching Wolffe's reaction as he sprinted as fast as he could towards the most adjacent doorway: Wolffe in hot pursuit. Many cheers and yells vented from the pilots and maintenance crew, for they all knew Fives had done something no one had the balls to do.

"Awwwww, shit, you've done it now, Fives," Hawk shook his head and pressed his commlink, "Fives is as good as dead. He got Wolffe," 

Fives' smile broadened as he heard the cheers and laughs in his commlink and it made him giggle just knowing that Wolffe was hearing the same thing. The chaos he had created was almost unbearable, but also totally worth it. Fives was sure the Wolfpack was going  _ crazy _ right now, for they all loved to see their Commander get pissed off. He knew they would never let him forget this moment and that it would hopefully haunt Wolffe for the rest of his life. 

Fives rounded a corner to see dozens of clones lined up against the walls, cheering him on. At that point in time, Fives thought this might just be the best moment of his life until General Plo Koon entered the hallway, arms crossed.

Fives skidded to a stop along with Wolffe a few feet behind him.

"What's going on here?" Plo said.

"Well um, we were just playing a game of tag, General," Fives tried to swallow the lump in his throat.

"Is that so?" The General shifted his glance to Wolffe.

"It is, General," Wolffe clapped him on the back, and Fives realized their plan all along. If Wolffe wanted to play dirty, Fives was all for it. 

Let the games begin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had a lot of fun writing this, so I hope you enjoyed!


	14. Rip In The Chat For My Boys

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fives and Hardcase stumble upon Ahsoka's lightsabers and get a very bad idea
> 
> Kind of a short one today but it's cute

"Let's go find the Commander," Fives and Hardcase walked down the hallway towards Ahsoka's quarters. A new mission was in, and she hadn't responded to any of their comms. Fives was a little worried because she never failed to answer her comms, but perhaps she was in the 'fresher or still asleep.

Hardcase knocked on the door, "Commander. We got a new mission, and we need you in the briefing room asap," there was no reply, "Commander? You in there?" Fives pushed past him and keyed in the code. No one on the ship really bothered with keeping their door codes secret, for it just felt weird keeping things from people that were like family. Besides, it was easier to reach them if there was an emergency.

The door slid open, revealing the empty room with a small bed in the corner and a desk to the far side, along with a connected 'fresher. Fives and Hardcase inspected the room, finding no trace of Ahsoka. Soon enough though, Fives' moved towards the desk, his gaze settling on Ahsoka's twin lightsabers. The two exchanged glances.

"We shouldn't," Hardcase said.

"We shouldn't," Fives repeated, shaking his head. They looked at each other again, "the Commander would be  _ furious _ ,"

"Not to mention  _ the General _ would probably kill us," Hardcase shifted his weight.

"No doubt," Fives stroked his goatee.

"But it's a  _ once in a lifetime _ chance," Hardcase sighed.

"That it is," Fives agreed. They shared one last look before each one slowly extended a hand to either lightsaber. 

"We're kriffing dead, Fives,"

"That we are, but we'll have lived life to the fullest," Fives said, trying to find the ignition switch. 

"How do these things even work?" Hardcase fumbled with Ahsoka's shoto blade, almost dropping it when it was ignited, "Ooooooo," Hardcase swung the yellow-green blade in the air, hearing the familiar whirring sound. 

"How'd you do that?" Fives struggled to kindle the other lightsaber.

"There's a little button at the top,"

"Got it," Fives ignited the longer blade and relished in the sound of its purring, "These things are cool as shit,"

"Uh, huh," Hardcase clashed his blade against Fives', both of them grinning. 

"Am I interrupting something?" Ahsoka leaned against the doorway with a smug face. The two of them gaped at each other.

"Well, it was good knowing you, Hardcase,"

"Likewise, Fives,"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I say it all the time and I will say it again, thank you for reading!


	15. A Little Ticklish

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fives thinks everything is way funnier than it is

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you guys so much for over 1,000 hits and almost 80 kudos it means a lot to me that people are seeing my work, so again, thank you all very much!!! :)

"Captain, come here, you've got something on the back of your head," Fives said. Rex slowed down to allow Fives to catch up to him, "Looks like a dust-bunny or something," Fives inspected the tiny piece of black fluff. 

"Enough gawking, Fives, just get it off," Rex tried to brush the dust off of his head, but couldn't find the right spot.

"Ya, ya, I got it, Captain," Fives lightly grazed his fingers over the back of his CO's head as he removed the dust. Rex shivered at the touch, and Fives quirked an eyebrow.

"W-w-w-w-wait," a giggle was building up in the back of Fives' throat, "Is the Captain _ticklish_?" Fives reached his hand back and drummed his fingers over the back of Rex's neck, Rex soon slapping his hand away.

"Stop it, Fives," Rex said in his I'm-the-Captain-don't-fuck-with-me kind of voice which Fives completely ignored for he was too engrossed in the fact that his Commanding Officer was ticklish. How he never noticed this he wasn't sure, but now that he did, the whole 501st was about to get let in on one of the few secrets their captain kept. Not to mention the fact that it made Rex look a lot less intimidating when the thought of him being tickled was brought to the front of your mind whenever you looked at him.

" _The Captain is ticklish_ ," Fives squealed. Rex's face flushed a deep red as they made their way to the barracks. Fives could tell that he was _furious_ , hell he swore he could practically _feel_ Rex's embarrassment seeping from him like Fives had some sort of Jedi sensing-powers. The door to the barracks slid open to reveal rows of bunks with weary clones talking quietly. 

"Guys, guys, you won't believe what I found out about Captain, here," Fives struggled to keep a straight face.

"Don't kriffing do it, Fives," Rex face-palmed.

"The Captain is-is," Fives couldn't hold his laughter in any longer, "He's," Fives was on the verge of tears at this point as he grabbed onto a bunk to stabilize himself.

"Bro, just kriffing say it," Hardcase told him earning a few impatient grumbles from the others.

"He's TICKLISH," Fives finally got the whole damn sentence out of his mouth and was free to laugh all he wanted. Everyone in the room snickered and laughed, Rex's level of intimidation quickly dropping. 

"Awww, is the little Captain ticklish?" Jesse said in a high-pitched mocking voice, causing Rex to blush a deeper shade of red. Jesse stood, quickly jutting his hand out to tickle his Captain's underarm: testing Fives' claim. Rex jumped back and let out a small squeak in response. Realizing Fives was right, many of the clones close to Rex stood, following Jesse's lead, and surrounded Rex.

"Hey, no, no, no, no," Rex was no match for all of them as they caved in, reaching for all the small crevices in his armor and at that point, Rex just gave in to the laughter. They piled up on top of each other, laughing and shouting, all letting their brightest smiles be on display.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for stopping by!


	16. Curiosity and the Togruta

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ahsoka thinks hair and human ears are weird
> 
> Another short one today, but I think I'll have a longer one tomorrow :) we'll see

"But like, what _is it_?" Ahsoka roamed her hand over Rex's head, grasping at the small strands of blonde hair.

"It's...hair?" Rex looked over at Fives and the others for help. 

"You look at me like I know what the hell it is," Fives said to his captain, "Where's Kix when you need him," he grumbled.

"I'm pretty sure it's just cells," Echo told her as she continued running her hands over Rex's short-cropped hair. 

"It's so _fuzzy_ ," Ahsoka giggled, moving her focus to Echo, running her fingers through his longer hair, "Does it hurt?"

"What do you mean?" Echo moved his head slightly to look at her.

"Like if you pull on it. Or when you cut it,"

"No, there aren't any nerves in it," Jesse responded. 

"Why does it grow on your jaw?" Ahsoka promptly stood and marched over to where Fives was sitting. She gripped his chin in her hand, stroking his goatee.

"It just does, I guess," Fives let her tilt his head as she inspected the rest of his face. 

"These things are so weird," she brushed a finger along his eyebrow. Fives stared back at her.

"Wait if you don't have any hair, then why do you have eyelashes?" Ahsoka paused and scrunched her brow.

"Huh. I don't know," 

"Do you have ears?" Jesse piped in, everyone collectively remembering he was there. 

"No," she shook her head.

"Then how the hell do you hear?" 

"My montrals. They're hollow and pick up sounds. Sort of like echolocation,"

"Haha, _echo_ location. Get it?" Fives snickered and pointed at his brother. Echo was very displeased with his brother's joke. Ahsoka moved her hands to Fives' ear, still ever so curious. 

"Humans are so odd," she shook her head, smiling.

"You call us weird, but you have lekku and montrals _and_ no ears," Fives said. They continued talking for a while until Ahsoka's curiosity got the best of her.

"Rexster, what are those eye-shaped things on your helmet?" He looked up at her.

"They're Jaig eyes-" Rex was interrupted by Fives.

"They're awarded for _bravery_ and killing a bunch of droids, I guess," Fives said sarcastically.

"You're just mad _you_ don't have any," Jesse laughed.

"Shut up, Jess," 

"So how'd you get them, Captain," Ahsoka propped her elbow on her knees, intrigued.

"It's a long story for another time," 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed!


	17. Secrets Shared

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> That moment when Anakin tells Rex about his relationship with Padme and Rex is not ready for it in the slightest.
> 
> I said yesterday that this one would be longer but I lied, it's actually shorter, but I hope you like it all the same :)

"What is it you wanted to tell me, General?" Rex was puzzled at why Anakin had pulled him into a closet in such a hurry. Anakin double-checked that the door was locked and made sure no one could hear them.

"I need you to keep a secret, Rex," 

"Ok?"

"But like this is one of those things where I kind of, maybe broke the Jedi code. Just a little bit,"

"Well, I'm sure it isn't that ba-"

"I'm in a relationship with Padme," Anakin felt as if a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. Rex, on the other hand, was startled.

"You're in a _what_ with _who_?" He couldn't quite wrap his head around what had just come out of the General's mouth.

"I'm in a relationship with the senator from Naboo," 

"Wait, so-"

"We also secretly got married,"

"You got _wha-_ "

"She's also pregnant,"

" _General slow down_!" Rex was just about losing his shit at this point, each word coming out of Anakin's mouth, hitting him like blaster bolts.

"Sorry, Rex, I just needed to tell someone," 

"Ok, lemme get this straight. You broke the Jedi code and married the senator from Naboo, and now you're having a _kid_?"

"Um, ya," Anakin rubbed the back of his neck.

"Why'd you tell _me_ , sir?"

"Would you rather me have told Fives?"

"That would've been a terrible idea, sir," Rex briefly thought about what Fives' reaction would've been. Most definitely worse than his own and a lot louder.

"Exactly,"

"What am I supposed to do with this information...sir?" 

"Well, Padme wants me to check in with her when we're on missions, so I need someone to uh...stand outside the door and make sure Obi-Wan doesn't come looking for me,"

"I-I can do that, General,"

"Thank you, Rex," Anakin put a hand on either of Rex's shoulders, "Really,"

"Of course, sir," Rex nodded.

"Alright. Briefing room in ten, we've got a new mission," Anakin left the room, leaving Rex still reeling from the news given to him within 10 seconds when it should've been _at least_ 5 minutes.

Rex pressed his comm, "Fives?"

"What up, Cap?" He replied cheerfully.

"Bring me the strongest bottle of vodka you have," 

" _Yes, sir_ ,"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!
> 
> Running out of ideas, so if anyone wanted to shoot me some I would be more than happy to write them :)


	18. It's Definitely A Skirt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pretty much anyone who doesn't wear a kama thinks it's a skirt
> 
> This is kind of a combination of two different story ideas so I hope you like it!
> 
> Also @Gerstein03 I saw your request and I'm still trying to think of a good plot/story so I should have it posted within a couple of days :)

"Why do you wear a skirt?" Ahsoka pointed at the black and blue trim cloth. Ahsoka was kitted up in Rex's armor from the waist down, for Fives, Echo, Jesse, and herself included were all bored out of their minds. 

"It's not a skirt; it's a kama," Rex huffed.

"It's a skirt," the four of them said in unison.

"It is not," 

"Yes it is, Rex, just admit it," Ahsoka stretched her hand out, motioning him to give it to her so she could put it on. He reluctantly handed it to her, and she clipped it around her waist. The armor sagged around Ahsoka's body, for clones had a much bigger build than she did, but it still fit her somewhat. 

"It's not a skirt, Commander,"

"What does it even do?" Rex passed her the ab plate and she clipped it in over her stomach.

"It shows rank and protects your legs from shrapnel, but Mandalorians used to use it to protect their legs from the downdraft of their jetpacks,"

"He also thinks it looks cool, but he won't admit it," Fives chipped in. Rex glared at him, "Tell me I'm wrong, Captain," in his defeat, Rex said nothing.

"Um, how do I put this on?" Ahsoka looked helplessly at the chest plate.

"Here, let me help you," Rex stood up, taking the plate from her hands and lifted it over her head, "You might want to move your lekku," Rex carefully moved the piece over her montrals as she held her lekku up so they wouldn't get caught. The chest plate sat awkwardly over her chest, far too big for her as it sealed itself. 

"What's next?" 

"Shoulder plates," Rex placed one on either shoulder, then reached over to grab the bicep pieces and gauntlets. Ahsoka adjusted the gauntlets over her forearms. Rex then fitted his pauldron on top of the chest plate.

"I don't think the helmet is gonna fit," Fives said.

"No shit, vod," Echo deadpanned. Rex picked up his helmet and balanced it on one of her montrals.

"That'll work," Rex smiled and took a step back to look at his commanding officer outfitted in _his_ armor. 

"Looks a bit loose, Commander," Fives was quickly hit on the head by none other than Echo, "Bro, _stop_ ,"

"Maybe I will if you shut your kriffing mouth for longer than two seconds," Echo grumbled.

"Someone's upset," Fives muttered. 

"Doesn't really suit me," Ahsoka pulled Rex's helmet from her montral and set it down, "But I do like the skirt," she smirked. Rex pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed.

"For the _last_ time, it's not a _skirt_ ," Rex flushed a deep shade of red. Ahsoka laughed and began removing pieces of armor.

"Fives, Echo, you wear one, what do you think?" She looked at them.

"Ya, it's a skirt," Fives leaned back against his bunk.

"IT'S A KAMA FOR KRIFF SAKE,"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!


	19. Bets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fives and Ahsoka bet everyone that they can beat them in a chugging contest. Also, Fives strikes me as a wine drinker, so I threw that in just for fun
> 
> Based on @Gerstein03 's request to have Fives and Ahsoka conning everyone out of money. I hope this fits the request somewhat :)
> 
> Thank you guys so much for all the comments as well they make me laugh when I open ao3 in the morning
> 
> Still taking requests if anyone has ideas :p

"I bet all of you whatever credits you have that Fives and I can beat you in a chugging contest," Ahsoka leaned back in the booth, Fives, and Rex on either side of her. 

"No kriffing way," Jesse took a sip of his drink, "You two always have tricks up your sleeves," everyone else voiced their agreement.

"No tricks this time, we swear," Fives carefully sipped his wine. 

"You say that every time," Echo muttered.

"It's true, you do," Rex added in. Ahsoka rolled her eyes.

"How about you try to out-drink us as a team, but Fives can't start drinking until I finish," The four of them: Jesse, Echo, Rex, and Kix, shared glances and collectively decided that there was no way the two of them could win. 

"I'm in," Kix told them, completely unphased by the nine shots he already had. 

"Me too," said Jesse. Rex and Echo agreed with Jesse, and the drinking contest was on. "But what do we get if we win?"

"If you win, Fives has to go kiss Wolffe in front of the Wolfpack," Ahsoka responded.

"Wait, _what_ ," Fives spewed a mouthful of wine all over Echo who responded by slapping Fives in the face. 

"Deal," Jesse, Kix, and Rex all said in unison. There was something about getting Wolffe pissed off that fueled their will to live.

"I did not consent-" Fives pleaded his case.

"Shush, Fives, the adults are speaking,"

"You're literally sixteen," Fives deadpanned.

"I'm still older than you. Besides, you only have to do it if we lose, and we won't," 

"Uh-huh," Fives was most definitely not on board with this idea. A waitress came by and set down six glasses of beer in front of each of them. 

"Take your hand off the glass, Fives," Jesse pointed out.

Fives put his hands up in defense, "Sorry, sorry," 

"Alright, ready?" Ahsoka gripped her glass along with the others.

"Fives, don't touch your glass until Ahsoka's hits the table," Rex told him.

"Copy that, Captain,"

"3, 2, 1, go!" The five of them picked up their glasses, and the contest had begun.

Fives didn't know if Ahsoka used some kind of Force power to down her drink quicker, but he was grateful none the less. Ahsoka slammed her glass on the table and Fives swiftly picked up his own, the others only halfway done. Fives chugged for his life, for if he ended up kissing Wolffe it was sure to be cut short. 

Ahsoka herself wasn't sure if he could pull it off, but to her surprise and everyone else's dismay, Fives slammed his glass on the table just before Jesse's.

"Take that, bitches," Fives wiped his mouth, "I'm gonna go throw up now," he quickly stood and rushed to the 'fresher.

"How in the _hell_ did you learn to chug like that?" Rex turned to Ahsoka.

"Well, Skyguy and I may or may not have chugging competitions in our spare time,"

"Does General Kenobi know?" Rex raised an eyebrow.

"What do you think?"

"No,"

"Precisely. Time to pay up, boys," Ahsoka opened her palm, a smug look plastered on her face.

"I'm never taking a bet from you two again," Jesse huffed, placing his credits into her hand, the others following suit.

Ahsoka smirked, "You say that every time,"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you guys aren't tired of me saying this but thank you for reading!


	20. Broken Helmets, Broken Hearts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fives breaks his helmet
> 
> This one's based on a Tumblr post by suddenly-clones
> 
> Link to post-  
> https://suddenly-clones.tumblr.com/post/620642759415595008/so-you-know-how-anakins-like-try-not-to-break-it

Fives walked up the stairs, on his way to the barracks, in desperate need of sleep. Not watching his step, Fives tripped up the stairs like a dumbass, landing helmet first onto the durasteel step. 

"Kriffing hell," he swore under his breath and pushed himself up off the ground. His eyes regained focus and stared through his cracked visor and gasped, almost falling over again, " _Noooooooo_ ," he pulled his helmet off to survey the damage. One large crack ran down the front of his helmet, ruining the paint job he had spent hours on, "Bruuuuuuhhhhhh," his visor most likely had to be replaced, pieces of it still left on the ground. He stuffed his helmet under his arm and tried not to tear up as he walked to the barracks.

\-------------------------------

"Why the long face, Fives?" Echo looked up from his datapad.

"I broke my helmet," he mumbled, throwing it down on the floor, then he climbed up onto his bunk. Fives proceeded to bury his face in his pillow.

"How'd you break it?" Echo peaked his head over the side to look at him.

"I tripped up the stairs," Echo could barely hear Fives' muffled voice.

"You tripped?"

"Yes, now leave me alone," Fives sniffled, wiping a tear from his cheek and curled up into a ball. He had become quite attached to the helmet, especially the paint job of the giant eel he watched Rex kill at the Rishi Outpost. Echo climbed up onto his bunk and put his hand on Fives' shoulder.

"It's ok, Fives, you'll get a new one," 

"I know, but that one is _special_ ," he let out a small sob.

"I know, vod, I know," Echo rubbed Fives' back.

"Hey, Echo, you seen Rex anywhere?" The General strolled up to him.

"No, sir, he might be in the 'fresher," 

"What's up with Fives?" Anakin pointed to the sniffling ARC.

"Uh, he's upset about his helmet. He broke it," Echo pointed to the helmet lying on the ground. Anakin picked it up and inspected it, running his hand over the cracked visor. He then climbed up on the bunk on the other side of Fives.

"Hey, Fives, it's ok," the ARC stilled, not really realizing the General had stopped by, "I can fix it up for you,"

"W-what?" Fives sat up, wiping the tears off his face.

"I'll fix it up. Should only take a little while," Anakin wrapped an arm around Fives' shoulder.

"Really? You'd do that for me, sir?" Fives looked at him in disbelief.

"Of course, Fives," Anakin ensured him. 

"But you won't replace it, right?" Fives had to be sure.

"Not the helmet itself, but maybe the visor,"

"Are you sure you can fix it, General?"

"Yes, Fives, I'm sure," Anakin laughed. He was quite amused at the fact one of the fiercest men he knew, willing to follow him into battle anywhere, had become so attached to his helmet, "I've got some spare time right now. I'll fix it and bring it back in the morning,"

"Thank you, General," Fives rubbed his eyes.

"Don't mention it,"

\----------------------------------------

Fives sat anxiously at a table in the mess hall, awaiting the arrival of his repaired helmet. Soon enough, the General walked through the door, a hand behind his back. Fives stood up, eager to see the General's handiwork. Anakin pulled the helmet out from behind his back and held it in front of him.

"I sealed up the crack and replaced the visor. I tried to fill in the paint best I could, but I might've missed some spots here or there," Anakin handed it over to Fives who couldn't believe how perfect it looked. There was no trace of a crack, and he had to admit that the General did a better paint job than he did. 

"I-I love it, General," Fives did something he knew he shouldn't but did it anyway, pulling his General into a bone-crushing hug, "Thank you, sir,"

Anakin returned the hug, "You're welcome, Fives,"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	21. Don't Mess With The Boys

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some dumbass tries to hit on Ahsoka and the boys are n o t having it
> 
> I didn't really vibe with this one when I was writing it but I think it's okay
> 
> Also thank you guys so much for over 100 kudos! It means a lot to me :)

The six of them had all made the terrible decision to go to a bar. Again. They _just_ couldn't help themselves, could they? Long missions could be cumbersome, and they all needed some time to let loose. Ahsoka, Rex, Fives, Echo, Jesse, and Kix sat in a booth already a couple of drinks in, talking and laughing. 

They each had very different tastes. For one, Kix only took shots of vodka, claiming it was the one thing that could get him somewhat drunk. Fives, on the other hand, was into fancy wines for some reason. Ahsoka didn't get it. Jesse was the one who could get drunk on literally anything, hell he was probably drunk right now. Echo was the designated sober one, but they all knew he could out-drink everyone if he really wanted to. None of them had ever seen him truly drunk. Rex was just a simple beer person, kind of boring, but whatever floats your boat. As for herself, Ahsoka didn't particularly care, a glass of beer sitting in front of her this time. 

"Do you think that twi'lek over there was checking me out?" Fives said.

"No," Echo deadpanned.

"She definitely was," 

"No, she wasn't, vod," 

"Shut up you're just jealous," 

"Will you stop talking about girls for five kriffing seconds," Ahsoka elbowed him in the arm.

"Damn, sorry, I didn't think people cared. Also, I heard that the Wolfpack is back on Coruscant tomorrow,"

"Shiiiiiit, we better get a new mission before Wolffe finds us," Jesse leaned back in the booth. 

"Damn straight," 

"Wait, what's up with you all and Wolffe?" Ahsoka looked Fives, "He seems fine whenever I see him,"

"Ya, that's cause he's with General Plo, but once the General is gone, it's free reign for Wolffe," the rest of them agreed with Jesse's explanation, "He especially has it out for Fives cause of that one time you tagged him on the way back from a mission," Jesse pointed at Fives.

"Don't regret it a day in my life,"

"You will when he kills you," Echo said.

"Why do you always have to be depressing, Echo?" 

"I'm just being honest," Echo shrugged. They all sat in silence for a while, sipping their drinks until a man walked up to their table. 

"Hey, gorgeous, how about I buy you a drink?" His eyes landed on Ahsoka and giving her a once over, _completely_ ignoring the five clones surrounding her. 

" _Excuse me_?" Ahsoka laughed. 

"Come on, let me buy you a drink," he flashed a perfect smile at her.

"Who the _hell_ do you think you're talking to?" Fives wrapped his arm around Ahsoka's shoulder, pulling her closer to him. Rex turned his back to them, shielding Ahsoka from view and glaring at the man.

"I'm just trying to be nice," 

Echo spoke for all of them when he said, "Don't _fucking_ talk to our Commander like that, bitch," Ahsoka wasn't sure she ever heard something so bitter come out of Echo's mouth before, but the man still wouldn't leave. Fives squeezed her even harder into his chest. Her brothers all viciously glared at him, not backing down one bit, and if she had been him, she probably would have started running to get a headstart, for clones were pretty fast.

"You know what, if you're not gonna leave..." Rex cracked his knuckles and stood along with Kix. They both looked down at the man who tried to swallow the lump in his throat.

"You know what, it's fine," he backed away slowly, Rex and Kix not sitting back down until he was out of range.

"Well, aren't you guys menacing," Ahsoka said. Fives released her from his hold but still kept her close. Rex slid back in the booth beside her, sitting quite close to her as well. She ended up being squished between Rex and Fives, both of them having their arm lying on the back of the booth around her. They were all a bit on edge the rest of the night, glaring at whatever man happened to walk by their booth. Ahsoka just forgot about the incident, not caring very much, her brothers doing quite the opposite. In their case,  _ no one _ messes with their Commander.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	22. The Muffin Man

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some more Ahsoka and Fives shenanigans because they would've been the most dynamic duo ever created.
> 
> Cody can also bake and nothing can change my mind about that
> 
> Thank you guys so much for over 2000 hits!!!!

"Be quiet, Commander," Fives hushed her as they crept down the dimly lit hallway.

"You're telling _me_ to be quiet? You're the one making all the noise," 

"I'm not making any noise-" Fives immediately ran into a crate, knocking it onto the floor, " _Kriffing_ _hell_ ," he hoped no one heard that.

" _Fives,_ " 

"Sorry, sorry," 

"Get a hold of yourself," Ahsoka and Fives made their way to the kitchen, heading for a late-night snack. And by late-night snack, they meant raiding the kitchen of the muffins that Cody made yesterday morning. For some reason, that man was incredibly good at baking.

"This way," Fives pressed the control panel to the mess hall and ushered her inside. Fives made sure the lights remained off as they sprinted across the mess hall and into the kitchen. 

"Where are they?" Ahsoka opened numerous cabinets, trying to look for the container with Cody's renowned muffins. 

"He hides them up top," Fives pointed above one of the higher cabinets.

"Give me a boost," Ahsoka told him. Fives moved behind her, putting his hands on her hips and lifting her to reach the cabinet.

"Got it?"

"Ya," Ahsoka moved the small box off of the cabinet, and Fives set her down. She opened the lid and inhaled the scent of the delicious muffins. They wasted no time and went straight to work, devouring as many as they could.

"This shit is so _good_ ," Fives said, spitting crumbs from his mouth.

"I know, right. Why can't you guys be this good at baking?" 

" _Hey_ ," Fives scowled at her.

"You're gonna look at me, and you're gonna tell me that I'm _wrong_?"

"Well, _no_ , but-"

"Exactly," she gave him a smug look. All of a sudden, the lights flickered on, both of them squeezing their eyes shut.

"Shit, did you turn the lights on?" Fives looked at her.

"No. Did you?"

"No,"

"Then who did?"

"What are you two doing here?" Rex stood in the doorway, arms crossed. Fives and Ahsoka froze like tooka cats caught in a speeder's headlights, muffin crumbs coating their lips. 

_"I can't go back to jail_ ," Fives dropped the muffin he was holding, pushed Ahsoka out of her way, and sprinted for the door on the other side of the room. Ahsoka remained where she was, still stunned by Rex barging in: then she too ran for the door. 

"Get back here!" Rex ran after them, passing the counter where they left the box of muffins open and paused, "Just one," he carefully picked one from the container, then continued to chase after Ahsoka and Fives. Rex followed them out into the hallway, turning corners and passing a few lone clones who gave him confused glances. Rex then rounded a corner and ran straight into Fives, who had stopped in the middle of the hallway. In front of the three of them stood a puzzled Cody whose hair was still wet from his shower. 

"What are you guys doing up this late?" He rubbed the back of his neck, "And why is Rex holding one of my muffins? _Did you guys eat my kriffing muffins?!"_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	23. Plo Koon=Dad

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The title just about explains it

"Commander, I need you in the briefing room in 15, something's come up," Plo Koon said.

"A new mission?" Wolffe walked down the hallway with Sinker, Boost, Rex, and, unfortunately, Fives.

"Not exactly,"

"Alright, I'll be there, Dad," Wolffe immediately froze in his tracks, his cheeks growing warm. There was no going back from this. It took the others a second the realize what had come out of his mouth. 

"Did-did you just call him,  _dad_ ?" Sinker looked at him.

"No," Wolffe blushed.

"He definitely just called him dad," Fives giggled.

"Stay out of it," Wolffe glared at Fives, who most certainly was going to hold this over his head. 

"Yes, Commander," Fives saluted jokingly, knowing it would make Wolffe even more pissed off. 

"I can't believe you called him  _dad_ ," Boost was wheezing, almost throwing himself into a coughing fit.

"Well, it's not like you all  _don't_ think of him as your dad," Wolffe crossed his arms as they continued walking.

"Oh, we most definitely think of him like that; we just don't say it out loud," Sinker gave him a lazy grin. 

"Not helping," Wolffe slapped him on the back of the head.

"Cody's gonna love to hear this," Fives said.

" _Cody_ ," Wolffe slapped the back of his head too, "Is not going to hear  _anything_ because all of you are keeping your damn mouths shut," Wolffe pointed to all of them. 

" _Make me_ ," Fives stuck out his tongue.

"Let me go get some staples-"

"You know what," Fives held up his hands in defense, "My lips are sealed,"

"That's what I thought," Wolffe took pride in the fact that he shut Fives up for once. Once Wolffe split off from the group to make his way to the briefing room, the four of them completely disregarded his threat.

"We're telling Cody, right?" Sinker whispered.

"Uh, shit ya, we're telling Cody," Fives laughed.

"You guys give me headaches," Rex rubbed his forehead.

"That's literally our jobs, Cap,"

"No," Rex sighed, "No, it's not,"

\------------------------------------

Wolffe was 100% sure they had decided they were going to tell more people than just Cody when he had left. He was honestly more afraid of what his General would say when he saw him than of who the three of them would tell. He braced himself for whatever 'talk' he would have to have with Plo Koon as he walked to the briefing room. 

The door slid open, revealing General Plo standing beside a hologram of some planet. Wolffe gulped and stepped into the room.

"Good to see you," Plo paused, "Son," and at that moment in time, Wolffe thought he was perhaps the luckiest clone in the entire Grand Army of the Republic.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope this made you smile :) thanks for reading!


	24. Something Unexpected

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ahsoka dares Fives to go and kiss Wolffe
> 
> The idea was given to me by @wolfdog23
> 
> Laughed a lot when I wrote this so I hope you do the same :)

"I'll give you 50 credits if you go kiss Wolffe, right now," Ahsoka smirked.

"Only 50?! It's gotta be higher than that; my life is on the line here," Fives sat cross-legged on his bunk, playing a game of cards with Ahsoka. 

"Fine, 100," 

"You're getting closer," 

"125, that's the final offer," 

"Deal," 

"Wait, you're actually gonna, go do it? I was just kidding," Ahsoka watched as Fives set down his cards and climbed off of the bunk and onto the ground. 

"I mean, ya. I'm broke as hell; could use the credits," Fives shrugged.

"Shit, ok," Ahsoka jumped off the bed and followed him over to the Wolfpack's section of the barracks.

"Do you see him?" Fives poked through the rows of bunks.

"No, but I hear him," Ahsoka could point out his familiar grumpy voice in a crowd of a thousand clones. They continued checking bunks, his voice growing louder, "There he is," Ahsoka pointed at the corner of the room. Wolffe leaned against his bed: talking to Comet, Sinker, and Boost. Fives waltzed up to him, but Ahsoka could sense the nervousness practically pouring from him.

"Hey, Wolffe," 

"What?" Wolffe rolled his eyes. Fives didn't waste any time stalling, immediately grasping Wolffe's blacks and pulling him into a kiss. Wolffe's eyes widened, Fives pulling back and preparing himself for a slap to the face, but none came. Fives stood there a moment, his hand leaving Wolffe's blacks and falling back by his side. 

All of a sudden, Wolffe moved his hand to the back of Fives' neck and pulled him in for a deep kiss. Fives wasn't sure whether to scream or kiss him back, cause he had to admit: Wolffe was a pretty good kisser. Wolffe released him, his usual intimidating face still plastered on his head, and walked away as if nothing had happened, leaving the five of them absolutely speechless. They all exchanged _very_ confused glances, all of them a loss for words.

Fives ran his hands through his hair, " _What the fuck just happened?"_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	25. The Kids Should Not Play With Blasters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ahsoka has never really used a blaster before

"Wait, you're telling me you've _never_ used a blaster before?" Fives looked at Ahsoka, stunned.

"Not _never_. There was some blaster training at the temple, but not much," Ahsoka fiddled with one of Rex's DC-17's, "Lightsabers are the Jedi's main weapon, not blasters,"

"Well, ya, but you should still know how to use one," Fives pulled apart his blaster, "What if they gave clones lightsabers?" 

"That is literally the worst idea that has ever come out of your mouth, and I've heard a lot," Rex sighed.

"You'd probably kill yourself with it _before_ igniting it," Ahsoka laughed.

"I would _not_ ," Fives gaped, "I may be an idiot, but I'm not stupid,"

"That's the same damn thing, vod," Echo clapped him on the back.

"No, it's not," Fives pouted.

"How do you guys get so good at aiming these things?" Ahsoka aimed the blaster at the wall, squeezing one of her eyes shut.

"Well, first off, if you're going to shoot something, you should take the safety off," Rex flipped a switch on the side of the pistol. 

"Ohhh," 

"And it just takes practice to get good at. You can shoot the wall if you want,"

"Wait, really? I won't make a hole?"

"I hope not," Fives laughed.

"It should only leave a mark," Rex reassured her.

"Should," Fives pointed out.

"Not helping, Fives," Rex glared at him. 

"So, should I just pull the trigger?" Ahsoka looked to the three of them.

"Ya, go," Fives egged her on.

Ahsoka pulled the trigger, and the familiar blue bolt flew out, her hand moving up from the recoil. It hit the wall with a light thud, dispersing in a black mark over the durasteel. 

" _Who_ just fired a kriffing blaster in here?!" Dogma yelled from across the room.

"Ah, mind your own business, Dogma!" Fives shouted back.

"You shouldn't be firing blasters in here!" He said. Fives didn't respond.

"What's this switch for?" Ahsoka pointed at the small lever on the side of the blaster.

"That's the switch between kill and stun," Rex flicked the lever to the stun setting.

"Can I try it?" Ahsoka looked at him.

"Sure," 

Ahsoka aimed the blaster in the same place as before and steadied her arm.

"Why are you guys even firing blaster-" Ahsoka pulled the trigger unaware of Dogma, who just so happened to move in front of her. The light blue ring expelled from the pistol and flew right at Dogma, knocking him to the ground, unconscious.

"Shit," Rex's eyes widened.

Fives grumbled, "You shoulda left it on kill,"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	26. Levitation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Another (sort of) Fives and Ahsoka fic because I love them

"Lift me, lift me!" Jesse grinned as Ahsoka focused her mind and waved her hands, lifting Jesse off the ground with the Force, "Woooaaaah," he giggled as he rose higher, "It feels so _weird_ ," Ahsoka laughed, "Like somebody turned off the anti-gravity,"

"Who should I lift next," her eyes scanned the room, her gaze landing on her Captain, who was sparring with Cody, "Bingo," she smirked. 

"Ohh, he's not gonna be happy, Commander," Jesse smiled.

"That's the point, Jesse," she raised her arms and watched as Rex's feet started to lift off the ground, Cody dropping his arms as he watched his sparring partner struggle as he rose into the air.

" _Commander_!!!" Rex squirmed, unable to move anywhere. Cody smiled and rolled his eyes, clearly not familiar with the kind of shenanigans the 501st gets up to. 

"Sorry, Rexster!" Ahsoka squealed as she watched Rex's face go from startled to displeased. 

"Put me down, please?" Rex raised his eyebrows.

"Just a little higher," Ahsoka concentrated as she lifted Rex closer to the ceiling. 

"Um, there's a ceiling, Commander," 

"Ya, Rex, I know," she opened her eyes and lowered him to the ground.

"Are you taking requests?" Fives grinned as he walked into the room, Ahsoka turning to face him. 

"You want to be levitated?" She raised an eye marking.

"Uh, hell ya," Fives set his helmet down and opened his arms as if wanting a hug, "I'm ready to be levitated, Commander," 

"Aright, Fives," Ahsoka laughed. Ahsoka raised Fives into the air, both of them giggling. 

"Wait, can you turn me upside down?" Fives' eyes lit up.

"Sure," Ahsoka carefully turned her hands, Fives turning to the side ever so slightly. As his head pointed towards the ground, his blasters fell out of their holsters, and his kama flopped onto his chest.

"You're upside down, Commander,"

"No, Fives, _you're_ upside down," Ahsoka scoffed.

"Well, not from my perspective," 

"Snips, why is Fives floating upside down?" Anakin walked up behind her. Ahsoka gasped, for she wasn't able to sense him, being so focused on lifting Fives. With her focus disturbed, Ahsoka lost her grip, and Fives came crashing to the floor, head first. 

" _Kriffing hell,_ " Fives groaned, still laying on the floor.

"Master! I didn't know you were here,"

Anakin sighed, "Clearly, Snips. Fives, you ok?"

"Ya, General, just...great," Fives sat up, grinning lazily and gave Anakin a thumbs up, then slumped back down to the floor. Both Ahsoka and Anakin winced.

Anakin sucked in a breath before yelling across the room, "KIIIIIIIIX!!!! It's Fives!!!"

It was a moment before Kix responded, "Krffing hell, _AGAIN_!!!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tsk Tsk poor Kix (woah that sorta rhymed) 
> 
> As always, requests are open :)
> 
> thanks for reading!


	27. Just A Mere Moment

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This one's sweet but then it gets kinds sad at the end, I'm not sure what happened to my brain while I was writing this at 1 in the morning, but I hope you enjoy :)

They had been camping out by this lake for days, waiting for pick up. _The Resolute_ had been able to get a few gunships past the Separatist forces to pick up the wounded but were unable to send more for the rest of them. They wouldn't be able to hold out much longer both from the boredom and the slowly diminishing amount of rations. A few of them were lucky enough to have brought a deck of cards or a magazine. They had gone through the entire list of things to do: racing, betting, sleeping, all of it, except one thing. 

"Do you think the water in that lake is safe?" Fives set down his cards and looked towards the lake.

"I don't know," Jesse responded.

"Do you wanna find out?" Fives raised an eyebrow.

"Kind of," Jesse grinned. The two of them snuck to the edge of the lake and started kitting down their armor. Fives removed one of his gloves and dipped his hand into the water.

"It's pretty warm," he removed his other glove, "It should be fine to swim in," the two of them continued to strip down to their blacks.

"Fives, where are you?" Rex's voice sounded from his commlink.

"Ah kriff," Fives looked at Jesse for help.

"Don't look at me, vod, he commed _you_ ," Jesse laughed.

"Just sitting by the lake, Captain," Fives proceeded to dip his foot into the water.

"Really?" Rex's voice didn't come from the comm this time. Fives turned around to face not only Rex but his Commander too. 

"Uhhh," Fives cleared his throat, "We just wanted to take a dip, sir,"

"We don't know if it's safe to swim in, Fives-" Rex hesitated, "Commander, why are you taking off your boots?" 

"No reason, Rex, keep going," Ahsoka maintained eye contact with him as she continued to slip off her boots. Rex facepalmed.

"You're gonna go in the damn lake, aren't you?" Rex sighed.

"Maybe," she grinned.

"Commander, we don't know if it's sa-"

"Let loose, Rex! Have some fun!" Ahsoka sprinted towards the lake, jumping high into the air and landing in the water with a splash. Fives and Jesse cheered, taking off the top half of their blacks, and waded into the water. 

"Why do I even bother?" Rex shook his head and smiled, kitting down his own armor to join them, "Hey boys!" He called back to camp, "Come on!" He pointed to the lake. The men exchanged looks with one another, then decided to kriff it and go for a swim. 

\-------------------------------

"Force, Fives, keep it steady!" Ahsoka was balanced on his shoulders, trying not to fall as they advanced on Rex and Jesse. 

"I know, I know," He gripped her knees and slowly walked closer to Rex, who was perched on top of Jesse, clearly struggling to stay balanced as well.

Ahsoka let loose a battle cry and pointed towards them as Fives charged. Ahsoka grabbed onto Rex's shoulders, trying to force him off of Jesse, Rex doing the same to her.

"Shit!" Fives stumbled, Ahsoka gasping, "Stepped on a kriffing rock," Fives laughed as he came crashing down into the water, bringing the other three with him. Ahsoka popped out from under the surface, spitting out water and giggled.

"We should do this more often," She said as Fives shook the water out of his hair like a wet dog, spraying it everywhere.

Fives ran a hand through his hair, "Agreed,"

\-------------------------------

Ahsoka pulled her socks and boots on over her semi-dry feet and stood, squeezing the water out from her dress. The men kitted their armor up, not bothering with their drenched state, and made their way back to camp.

"Snips, come in," Anakin's voice spoke from Ahsoka's comm panel. 

"What is it, Master?" Ahsoka hoped it was good news.

"We've been able to break through the Separatist forces and an evac is on the way," 

"Thank _Force_ ," Ahsoka sighed, "See you in a few, Skyguy,"

"Likewise, Snips," Her commlink shut off with a beep. 

Ahsoka looked at the dozens of clones scattered about, each of them having a different feature, personality, _something_ that made them so unique to her. She loved to see them all like this: having fun, not distracted by the song of war, just living freely. She could feel their force presences humming with joy, their minds at ease for what she guessed was one of the first times in their lives. It was times like these where she sometimes wished she could stay in the moment a little bit longer. She gazed at the men that stood before her: her friends. Her brothers. But alas, the galaxy didn't care. When it came to war: they were all just soldiers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> just a warning for tomorrow's one shot: it's going to be the big sad because I've felt it's time for another sad one and I'm sorry in advance :/


	28. Scars of Umbara

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Buckle your seatbelts, my friends, cause this is gonna be one hell of a ride
> 
> \----------
> 
> Did my eyes start watering when I wrote this? maybe
> 
> Do I regret writing it? not one bit

Rex sat at his desk; the report in front of him a mere blur of words plastered onto a datapad screen. His eyes stared lifelessly at the paragraphs, rereading them over and over, not one word of it making its way into his head. He leaned back in his chair, hands running over his weary eyes, trying to maintain his grip on reality. His head lolled to the side, gazing at his blue-accented bucket, hating the man he saw in his visor: the broken, scarred, Captain of the 501st Legion. He gritted his teeth, barring them at his reflection, which only seemed to smile crookedly back at him. He let out a yell and hit the helmet off his desk and across the room. Rex propped his elbows onto the table, holding his head in his hands, not being able to stop the small sob that escaped from his throat. He bit his wrist, muffling his soft cries as he trembled in his chair, not being able to shake the thoughts that dwelled in his mind. _So many brothers gone; dead_ , he thought to himself, causing his shaking to worsen, _I could have saved them if I had done what I **knew** was right_-

"Rex?" Ahsoka stood in the doorway. Rex remained where he was, head in his hands, silent, "Rex, I heard you from my room,"

"Sorry, Commander, it won't happen again," he said bluntly, his voice shaky.

"You don't have to apologize," she paused, "I heard about what happened and I'm-" 

"I don't need your pity, Commander," 

"No, you need comfort, Rex," Ahsoka took a step into the office, her gaze shifting to his bucket lying lifeless in the corner of the room, knowing that was what had made the thumping sound. She looked to the small bed next to the desk, one he never used, for he preferred to sleep with his brothers than alone. She moved towards him, Rex still not facing her. Ahsoka sat down on the edge of the bed and looked at the sorrow cemented on her Captain's face.

"Look at me, Rex," she said softly. His only response was a tear that rolled down his cheek, falling onto his pauldron. Ahsoka reached out to brush the others that fell off of his face; Rex's eyes still glued to the wall, "Rex. Please," her voices cracked on the last word, her eyes starting to water. 

Rex slowly shifted his gaze to his Commander, still not being able to look her in the eyes. Her hand on his cheek burned warmth into his mind, her thumb still rubbing off the tears from under his eye. She then moved her other hand up to his face, cupping his cheeks in her palms.

"It's not your fault," she whispered. Rex looked into her shiny blue orbs, pain tinting the beautiful color. 

"Isn't it? I let him control us, control _me_ and look at the damage it caused," Rex's growled, "I killed my own _brothers,_ Ahsoka!" He clenched and unclenched his fists, his mind burning with fury.

"He betrayed you. He betrayed _all_ of us, Rex. And it is not _your_ fault," she removed her hands from his face and found his open palms lying on his knees. She clasped his hands tightly, showing Rex that she was here for him, and he squeezed hers back. 

"Look at me, Ahsoka. I'm a fucking mess. I-I," he sobbed and turned away from her, ashamed. Ahsoka could feel his pain so vividly through the Force: the intensity of it almost too great for her to bear. She stood swiftly, letting go of his hands, and hooked her arms under his shoulders, pulling him up from the chair and into her embrace. 

Rex shuddered at the warmth that emitted from her, the fresh, summery scent of Ahsoka filling his nose. She pressed him into her, a hand on his shoulder, the other on the back of his head. 

"You don't have to hide from me, Rex," she reached out into the Force, trying to ease his mind, trying to take the dreadful thoughts out of his head. He wrapped his arms around her, his chin resting between her two montrals, finally caving into the soothing words she spoke to him. He choked out a small sob, letting tears stream down his face, and hugged Ahsoka tighter.

It made her feel so sick to have to know what her Captain went through; what her brothers went through. The fact that a Jedi could be so _cruel_ and _heartless_ fueled the burning anger she knew she shouldn't have. Ahsoka felt Rex's warm tears pooling in the valley between her montrals, making her hold him that much tighter. She knew the clones were deprived of most human touch, save for their brothers, so she knew what this meant to Rex. It was so much more than a quick side hug or an apology: it was a show of empathy, of love even. It showed him that she _cared_ about what he was going through and that she was here as a friend, not his commander. 

"Your brothers need you. They're hurting too, I can feel it," she pulled back an inch to look him in the eyes.

Rex looked down at his feet, watching a few teardrops splatter against the durasteel floor. Sometimes he wished Ahsoka couldn't do the Force-sensing thing. She didn't need to feel the grief of the entire damn army as an added weight to carry on her shoulders. She already had enough of her own to deal with. 

"We'll go together," she walked towards the door, but Rex remained glued to the floor.

"I can't, Ahsoka. I-I led them into suicide missions, just blindly following orders I-"

" _Rex,_ " the firmness in her voice shut him up immediately, "They know what you went through for them and vice versa for you. You need to be strong for their sake. They look up to you, Rex," 

He opened his mouth to say something, soon closing it, knowing that she was right. He nodded softly and followed her out the door and towards the barracks.

Most of the men were sitting on their bunks quietly, reading or gazing up at the ceiling. None slept. None found it in themselves to do so. They were all beyond tired, but it was the kind of exhaustion that couldn't be cured by sleep. Rex and Ahsoka wandered slowly to his bunk and sat down, all eyes following their movements. Rex knew there was nothing he could say to his brothers, nothing that would end their suffering. Fives, Jesse and Kix sat down on his bunk next to them, not needing an explanation of why they leaned on one another. 

The room was quiet, to say the least; the squeak of a bed frame or a muffled sob was the only thing that echoed throughout the barracks. Distant cries of brothers long gone invaded the heads of those who looked upon the empty beds that were never to be filled again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oof I hope tomorrow's is gonna be happier
> 
> thanks for reading!


	29. Ah The Irony

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You remember in the movie where Rex is like "sir, I thought you said you'd never have a padawan," prompting the fact that they had a conversation about it prior to that moment? so ya I decided to write about it but it's h e l l a short and I'm sorry about that and it's also not that good but I just had an urge to write it.
> 
> So I have this list of clone wars characters as vines and I kinda want to post but I'm not sure so let me know if you'd want to see it or not in the comments :)
> 
> Also thank you guys so much for over 3000 hits and over like 120 kudos I think? It means a lot so thank you!

"Sir, if I may ask, what's a padawan?" Rex walked with Anakin down the hallway of _The Resolute._

"It's a Jedi's apprentice. They're younglings taken under the wings of Jedi Knights or Masters and taught until they are skilled enough to pass the trials to become a Knight,"

"Ahh, I see,"

"What prompted the question?" Anakin asked curiously.

"I'm not sure, sir, but I've heard the word and only wanted to know what it meant,"

"Fair enough," 

"You were General Kenobi's padawan, weren't you, sir?"

"Yes, I was,"

"Do you ever consider getting a padawan yourself, General?" Rex eyed Anakin.

" _Me_ having a _padawan_?" Anakin laughed as they continued down the hallway, "It would only slow me down. Besides, padawans are more of Obi-Wan's thing,"

"You're sure, sir? You'll _never_ have a padawan?" Rex chuckled.

"No, Rex, not ever in my life," 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!
> 
> Let me know down below if you want the list of clone wars characters as vines :)


	30. Road Trip

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Little AU where my babies go on a road trip
> 
> Also does anyone know how to get rid of the spaces that add after you write something in italics? I keep having to go back and delete it but if there's a fix for it please let me know :)

"I call shotgun!" Fives raced to the car.

"I call backseat!" Anakin chased after him.

"Me too!" Jesse shouted. Anakin, Jesse, and Ahsoka all crammed themselves into the back seat; Fives taking the front and Echo reluctantly driving for he was the only person responsible enough to do so. 

"Wait, where am I sitting?" Rex stopped a few inches from the car.

"Ah poor Rex got the trunk," Fives giggled.

"I got _the what_?" Rex's eyes widened.

"The trunk, vod," Fives stuck his hand out the window and pointed to the back of the car. 

"You're kidding, right?"

"You were the slowest, Rexster! First come, first serve," Ahsoka shrugged, smushed between Anakin and Jesse. Rex grumbled something about getting his own damn car and just following them, but grudgingly opened the trunk door and climbed in. 

"Alright, is everyone ready?" Echo received various agreements from the others, "Seatbelts buckled?" They all paused for a second, then reached for the buckles, "Fives, that includes you," Fives narrowed his eyes at Echo as he slowly moved the strap across his waist and clipped it into the buckle. 

"I presume I don't get one?" Rex's voice sounded from the trunk.

"Nope!" Fives laughed, then leaned over to whisper into Echo's ear, "Make sure you hit some potholes or speedbumps or something?" 

" _Fives_ ,"

"Please?" Fives pouted, showing his puppy dog eyes, but Echo only scowled at him and started the car. 

\--------------------------------

"Yo Fives, pass the snacks back," Jesse reached his hand over the seat.

"Don't eat all of the chips, di'kut," Fives warned as he passed the bag back to him.

"I won't," Jesse grinned at Anakin and Ahsoka, who most definitely _would_ eat all the chips.

"How you doing back there, Rex?" Fives turned around in his seat to meet the glare of a _very_ unhappy Rex. 

"Piss off, Fives,"

"Damn, _sorry_ , I was just trying to be nice," Fives rolled his eyes.

"Can this bitch step on the kriffing _gas_ ," Echo honked the horn at the person in front of them, "Son of a bitch, move out of the _damn way!!_ " Echo repeatedly hit the horn.

"Hot damn, Echo, just go around," Fives said, the car going completely silent at Echo's sudden outburst. Echo hit the gas and jerked the car to the side to pass them, prompting a loud thump from the back as Rex hit the wall of the trunk.

" _Kriff_ , Echo!" 

"Sorry, not sorry," Echo said as he pulled in front of the trunk, Fives laughing his ass off.

"Where are we even going, guys?" Ahsoka said as she shoved a handful of chips into her mouth, then passed the bag to Anakin. 

Echo looked at her through the rearview mirror, "It's not about the destination; it's about the journey,"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kind of a cheesy ending but I didn't know how else to end it lol :)
> 
> Thank you for reading!


	31. A Night Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Another Fives and Ahsoka one shot with a little bit of Wolffe and Fox (@wolfdog23 I hope this will fuel your request for Wolffe and Fox for now but I do have an idea for Fox which I should be able to write and post within the next few days so stay tuned for that :)

"You brought all the stuff, right?" Ahsoka whispered as she and Fives crept along the outside of the barracks.

"Uh, ya, I don't have dumb bitch disease," Fives rolled his eyes.

"Uh, ya, you do," Ahsoka mocked him. 

"Whatever. I got some beer, a marker, and some toast," Fives showed her the bag he was carrying.

"By snacks, I didn't mean toast, Fives," Ahsoka said.

"Well, it was the only thing I could find, ok? Cody hasn't baked anything in a while so I couldn't get anything _good,_ " 

"Fair point," They continued to sneak around the edge of the barracks, making their way into the city life of Coruscant. 

"Where do you wanna go tonight?" Fives said, slinging the backpack onto his shoulder.

Ahsoka shrugged, "Let's just walk around and see if we find anything interesting,"

\------------------------------

"That bar over there is kinda sketchy, but unless you want some death sticks, that's your number one place. Oh, and over there are the best deep fried Nuna legs you'll ever get on Coruscant," Fives pointed out pretty much every shop, restaurant, or bar that he saw.

"How do you know about all this stuff? How do you even make time for it?" Ahsoka asked him, "Also, past me some toast,"

"Because I sneak out way too much and do a lot of things that Rex would most certainly _not_ approve of," Fives flashed her a grin and pulled the bread out of his backpack and handed it to her, "And by the way, you better not tell Rex about this,"

"You really think I'd snitch on you?" Ahsoka quirked a facial marking.

"Everyone snitches on me," Fives responded, completely serious.

"Well, if I _do_ snitch on you, then I'm in trouble as well, and I don't need Skyguy knowing about this,"

"To be honest, I don't think he'd care. Kenobi is the one you should be worried about," Fives stroked his goatee.

"He'd give me the longest talk about _responsibility_ and _careless actions,_ " Ahsoka giggled, "What other cool stuff is around here?"

"There's a pretty decent gift shop over there," Fives pointed down a small alley, "And that there is a pretty good bakery, and-"

" _Wait_ ," Ahsoka stopped dead in her tracks, putting an arm in front of Fives, causing him to stop too. Ahsoka pointed to the outdoor seating of the bakery, where two familiar figures sat.

"Wha-" Fives followed her gaze to find Commanders Wolffe and Fox sitting at a small table under an umbrella, eating pastries. "That's not- that _can't_ be," Fives couldn't control his laughter as Ahsoka pulled him into an alley, hoping the two hadn't spotted them, "That's- that's _Wolffe_!" Fives cackled, "And _Fox!_ " At this point, Ahsoka, too, was laughing hysterically.

"And they're eating _pastries_!" Ahsoka squeezed her eyes shut, laughing so hard she could hardly breathe; Fives in the same state.

"Holy shit, wait until _literally, everyone_ hears about this, they're gonna lose their _minds_ ," 

"The _Wolfpack_ is gonna lose their minds," Ahsoka said as she and Fives leaned against the wall laughing themselves silly. 

"What do you think they're talking about? Which slice of cake tastes better?" Fives snorted, each of them adding things on making it funnier and funnier until they were both on the floor of the alley, _completely_ out of breath. Once Fives had taken enough breaths to regain his composure, he stood and peered around the corner to look at the table, "Wait, where are they?"

"They're not there?" Ahsoka stood quickly, her eyes widening.

"No-"

"How's your night been going, Fives?" Wolffe appeared from behind them, Fox at his side.

"Um, good, how about you, Commander?" Fives rubbed the back of his neck.

"We should go, Fives," Ahsoka whispered to him.

"Ah, well, it's about to get a lot worse," Wolffe cracked his knuckles, no sign of mercy in his eyes.

"Fives, _now_ ," Ahsoka pulled his arm.

"Ya, that's probably a wise decision," Fives and Ahsoka immediately turned around and started booking it down the street, no idea where the hell they were going. 

"What's the plan here?" Ahsoka gave Fives a quick look as they maneuvered through the many people up and about.

Fives let out a laugh, "There isn't one!"

They continued winding through the streets of Coruscant: Wolffe, and Fox on their tails, most definitely not giving up this chase. 

Fives turned around quickly to shout at Wolffe, "Just wait until Cody hears about this!" 

"Fives, what the hell?! You're just egging him on!" Ahsoka yelled, Wolffe, gaining on them ever so slightly, a wave of newfound anger fueling his every stride. 

"Ya, but it's worth it! Let's head back to the barracks; I have an idea!" 

" _You_ have an _idea_? Great," 

\-----------------------------

"I think we lost them," Fives huffed, taking in deep breathes.

"Force, I hope- shit they're right there," Ahsoka grumbled, looking at the menacing commanders walking down the hallway towards them.

"What the hell are you two doing up?" At that very moment, the worst person possible walked up behind them: Captain Rex.

"Why do you always have to show up at the _worst times?_ " Fives groaned, looking between his Captain and Wolffe and Fox, who had now cornered them into a box. 

"What were you doing?" Rex shifted his weight.

"Well, we were out in the city when we found _them_ ," Fives pointed at Wolffe and Fox, "Eating _pastries,_ and then they chased-"

"You were out in the _city_?! At this time of night?!" Rex face-palmed. Fives could see the small grin that crept onto Wolffe's face, for he knew Rex didn't care about what he and Fox had been doing. 

Fives looked Rex dead in the eyes, "Hold up, I just told you that they were out eating _cake and who knows what else_ like they _aren't_ the people they are, and you're focused on the fact that we snuck out?!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hehe poor Fives
> 
> Thank you for reading :)


	32. Respect

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Not really sure how to describe this chapter so ima just let you all read it
> 
> for @wolfdog23
> 
> Thank you guys so much for over 150 kudos each one makes me smile :)

"The production of more clones would only escalate the war! Is that really what the Republic needs right now? We're nearing bankruptcy as is, and creating more clones would only increase our debt!" Senator Padme Amidala of Naboo argued her very well thought out point to the Umbaran Senator, Mee Deechi. 

Fox barely paid any attention to their conversation as he escorted them back to Senator Amidala's office. Being engulfed by politics and irritating senators every day bored poor Fox to death. He walked stiffly, arms crossed behind his back, his mind wandering as the argument about making more of his brothers and sending them off to die played quietly in the back of his head. 

They rounded a corner to the Senator's office, Fox keying in the passcode, then entering and standing at attention beside the door. 

"We need the production of more _clones_ ," Senator Deechi pushed past Fox, hitting his shoulder as he emphasized the word, "If we are going to win this war. The Separatists are not going to lay down their weapons if we call for peace; they will rally their forces and strike us when we are weak!" Senator Amidala followed behind him, clearly displeased at what he was saying. She motioned for him to take a seat on the long couch across from her and signaled for her assistant to bring them refreshments.

Fox remained in his rigid position, facing into the room, his gaze shifting to the window to watch the bustling city of Coruscant. Their talk continued, just a dull sound in the back of Fox's mind until he heard the familiar ring of his name.

"Commander Fox, what do you think about this matter? Do you believe the creation of more clones will help stop this war?" Senator Amidala turned to him. Fox was glad his helmet hid his confused face, for he had never been asked if he had his own opinion, let alone to share it. 

"I- this isn't my place to speak, Senator," Fox shifted his weight.

"I insist, Commander. Please, speak your mind," She smiled softly at him. _Speak your mind,_ Fox thought, _the last time I ever heard that was- well_ ** _never_**. No one had ever- _ever_ -asked him to speak his mind. Hell, he didn't even know if he had anything to _say_.

"I- well um, I don't know, Senator. I haven't ever thought about it," 

"Why not?" Senator Amidala pushed him.

"Because it's none of my business, ma'am," Fox bowed his head.

"Isn't it? You clones are the very people keeping us _safe_. Surely you must have _some_ opinion about it," 

_What did she just call us?_ _People?_ Fox's eyes widened under his visor.

"Well, Senator, I'm not sure what I believe. I don't know if more clones will help us win the war, but I do know that either way, they're going to die. If you believe calling for peace with the Separatists can prevent their deaths, then... I think that's the right call," Fox never thought he'd say anything somewhat meaningful in his life, but here he was telling Senator Amidala his thoughts on the production of clones.

Senator Deechi laughed, "Are you really going to listen to the words of this clone?! What does he know of the situation? He was bred in a laboratory for war, not politics," 

And at that point, Fox knew he had stepped out of line. He knew he shouldn't have said those things or picked a side, for it was not his place to do either of those things. 

" _Senator Deechi_ , how dare you disrespect him. How dare you disrespect clones. They fight and _die_ for the Republic so that perhaps someday we can win this war, and you treat them like they are mere objects?! Yes, they were born in a laboratory, but that does _not_ mean they aren't living beings like the rest of us. They deserve a voice _just_ as much as we do, perhaps even more because they are the ones fighting this war _for_ us," Senator Amidala was standing at this point, pointing a finger menacingly at Senator Deechi. She took a few deep breathes before continuing, "I think you should leave now," she said cooly.

Senator Deechi narrowed his eyes and stood, walking to the door with his head held high. Senator Amidala watched his every step until the door closed behind him. She smoothed out her dress and sat down, taking a sip of her water. 

"I'm sorry you had to hear that," she looked towards Fox, whose mouth was agape under his helmet. 

"May I ask you something, Senator?" Fox said gingerly.

"Of course, Commander,"

"Why did you do that?"

"Why? Because he was rude and unfair to you. Because you are a person, and you deserve a voice. Come sit, Commander," she patted the soft couch next to her. Fox cautiously moved and sat beside her, "Would you mind if I asked you to remove your helmet?"

"No, ma'am," He carefully removed his helmet and set it on his lap. 

"I hate the fact that others see you as just things they can order around,"

"Well, that's what we were made to do, Senator; take orders," 

"Not to me, Fox," she looked at him with heartfelt eyes. He'd never once heard someone other than his brothers call him by just his name. He had no helmet to hide the gratitude shown on his face.

Fox let a small smile slip across his face, "Thank you, Senator. Truly,"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> as always, thanks for reading :)


	33. Cuddle Buddies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It took me a whopping 32 one shots to realize I never wrote something with Obi-Wan actually in it so here's a little Obi-Wan for you and also cuddles

"Have you seen the Generals and Commander Tano anywhere? I can't seem to find them," Cody said firmly.

"Now that I think about it, I haven't seen them either," Rex furrowed his brow, "General Skywalker and Commander Tano are probably fooling around somewhere so let's just pretend we don't know that,"

Rex let out a laugh. 

"Agreed. But where could General Kenobi be?"

"Probably trying to stop whatever Skywalker and the Commander are doing," 

"We should still check on them," Cody persisted.

"Eh, they're fine. Besides, I don't want to get mixed up in whatever the hell they're doing,"

"I'll at least comm them," Cody moved his wrist over his mouth and pressed a button, "General Kenobi?" No one answered, "General, are you there?" Still no response, "That's weird," Cody turned to Rex, "He _always_ answers his comm,"

"Let me try," Rex turned his comm on to contact both Anakin and Ahsoka, "General, Commander, are you there?" Nothing, "Report in, sirs," Still nothing, "Ok, something's up. Both Generals _and_ the Commander aren't reporting in,"

"Could the Separatists have captured them?"

"I'm not sure, but we better find them quick,"

\---------------------------

"Fives, any sign of the General?" Rex paced along the perimeter of their campsite. 

"No, Captain, I got nothing on my end,"

"Echo, how about you?" 

"Negative, sir," 

Rex was starting to get _really_ worried. _Three_ Jedi _missing_? This was not good.

"Hey, Rex, I think I found them. I'm on the East side of the campsite," Cody said quite relieved.

"I'm on my way,"

\-----------------------------

"Well, where are they?" Rex paused, "Oh," He squinted at the tree, which Cody had stopped in front of. His gaze followed Cody's to the three of them slumped against the trunk of the tree, fast asleep. Obi-Wan in the middle, Anakin and Ahsoka on either side, their heads resting on Kenobi's shoulders, "They're _asleep_?"

"At least they're not dead," Cody said bluntly.

"Fair point," Rex came to stand beside him, pressing his comm, "Fives, come meet me on the Eastside. Oh and bring a holocam," 

"Yes, sir," Fives responded. A few moments later, Fives was jogging up to them, Echo following close behind him, "Did you find them?"

"Take a look for yourself," Rex stepped to the side, allowing Fives to take in the sleeping Jedi.

" _Holy kriffing hell_ ," Fives giggled, "I'm glad you told me to bring the holocam, Captain,"

"Be quiet; we don't want to wake them," Echo whispered. Fives raised the holocam to take a picture of the most skilled Jedi in the entire army, cuddling beside a tree. A blinding white light emitted from the holocam, startling the four of them.

" _Shit_ , the flash was on!" Fives' eyes widened.

"What..." Anakin groaned, raising a hand to shield his eyes from the light. 

"Did you get the picture?" Rex asked frantically. 

" _Yes_ ," Fives turned the holocam around to show them.

"What picture?" Anakin cracked his eyes open. The four of them exchanged nervous glances, passing around an invisible ball to see who would have to speak.

"No picture, sir," Fives said.

"Uh-huh, sure," Anakin responded as he slowly stood, Obi-Wan and Ahsoka gradually coming back to reality. 

Obi-Wan looked at Cody and stood, helping Ahsoka up onto her feet, "I don't particularly care if you took a picture of us, just don't show it to _Quinlan Vos_ ,"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks for reading :)


	34. Who Gave Fives a Kriffing Lighter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I think the title is enough of a summary cause we all know where this is going
> 
> Thank you guys so much for over 4,000 hits!!!

"Isn't fire like the coolest thing?" Fives watched the flame as it flickered in front of him. He clicked the small lighter on and off, listening to the sound of it igniting. 

"No, not really, vod," Echo scrolled through his datapad, most likely looking at the regs manual for the thousandth time. 

"Well, not to you cause you think the regs manual is the coolest thing in creation," Fives laid on his stomach, still fiddling with the lighter. 

"I do not," Echo's cheeks flushed a deep shade of red.

"Then what _do_ you think is the coolest thing ever created?"

"Not... the regs manual," 

"You know, you're a terrible liar,"

"Shut up,"

"Should I light my blanket on fire?"

" _What?_ ** _No_** ," Echo looked down at Fives who was passing the corner of his blanket through the small flame, "Vod, _stop_ , that's not a good idea,"

"But I'm _bored_ ," Fives groaned.

"That doesn't mean you set a kriffing blanket on fire! Who gave you that thing anyways?"

"No one gave it to me, I just found it in the hangar,"

"So you just _took it_ ,"

"As I said, I'm bored,"

"Kriffing hell, Fives, you and I have two very different definitions of bored,"

"Uh, Echo,"

"What?"

"I may or may not have set my blanket on fire,"

" _FIVES_!!!" Echo bent over the side of the bed to look below him and saw Fives frantically trying to blow out the growing flame, "Stop blowing on it, it'll only make it bigger,"

"Then what do I _do_?" 

"I'll go get some water; you just stay put and try not to catch the whole damn barracks on fire," Echo jogged out the door and into the nearest supply closet to grab a bucket. He then ran to the closest 'fresher and proceeded to fill the bucket up with water. A few clones passing by gave him weird looks but seemed to get it when he explained that it was because of Fives.

Echo returned to the barracks, careful not to spill the full bucket, to find Fives leaning against his bunk watching the entire blanket become engulfed in flames. Echo, not having any more of Fives' bullshit, tossed the water onto both the blanket and Fives, soaking him from head to toe. 

Fives' eyes slowly glared at him, "Were you actually aiming for _the_ _blanket_?"

"Ya, you were just in the way," Echo smirked, setting the bucket down and climbing up onto his bunk, "Just be glad the fire's out. And for kriff sake _get rid of the fucking lighter_ ,"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks for reading :)


	35. Those Who Have Passed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Not really sure how to describe this, but it starts off kinda sad cause I was in that kind of mood so ya :)
> 
> As always, requests are open :)

It was another regular night: the six of them crowded into a booth at 79's, drinking and talking their long and taxing mission away. The loud music and sporadic lights drowned out most complex thoughts, save for Ahsoka's, her mind still fixed on their earlier mission. The voices of her brothers passed in through one montral and out through the other, the drink she had, not fazing her mind as quickly as she would like it. 

She always accepted her brothers' requests for her to join them at 79's, both because she loved to be around them, but also because she needed something to make her forget for the night. She wondered if Rex did too. They both shared a similar burden: the death of their men. Seeing the pristine faces of shinies stepping off the ship from Kamino and into the 501st to then die in the next battle was something she couldn't shake. 

Ahsoka twirled the amber liquid in her glass, then raised it to her lips and finished the rest of the drink in one gulp. Beside her, Rex eyed the empty glass she set down on the table.

"Another one of those nights, huh?" Rex watched as she nodded, then leaned back into the booth. Rex knew the feeling quite well and that there wasn't really anything to cure it. Drinking it away would only help for the night, and by the time you woke up, it would be there again, "I'm sorry," he placed a hand on her shoulder, and she only sighed. 

"Commander, are you alright?" Fives interrupted them.

"I'm fine, Fives," she gave him a soft smile, "Just tired is all,"

"Commander," Fives said in a stern tone, "Do you trust us?"

Ahsoka cocked her head, "Yes, of course,"

"Then you know you can tell us anything. We're here for you," 

They all listened intently, waiting for Ahsoka to say something, but nothing came forth. She fiddled with her hands under the table, trying to decide how to explain her predicament.

"I- Why can't I save _more._ There's so many that _die_ and I can't save them," Ahsoka pressed her forehead into her hands, "I'm just not good enough I-"

"Stop," Fives brought her to a standstill, "Stop telling yourself that shit. No one sitting at this table would be alive if it wasn't for you. Death is the price of war, Commander, no matter how much we wish it not to be. You save as many lives as you can, but in the end, there will always be those who won't make it. And we clones know our purpose, and we _know_ that one day it will be us too. But it's best to spend your time with those alive and around you," He gestured to them, "Than focus on those who have passed on to new places,"

Ahsoka looked up at him, wondering how the hell something so heartfelt had come out of his mouth, "I suppose you're right," she smiled lightly and looked around the table at the same faces; so very different to her. 

"Well, if we're gonna spend time with each other, can we at least do something other than sitting around in this musty-ass booth?" Jesse said half-drunk, earning a laugh from the others, "Come on!" He slid out of the seat, pulling Kix up with him and floated over to the dance floor. Rex, Echo, and Fives all stood, making to follow them, but Ahsoka stayed put. 

"Ahsoka," Fives reached out his hand to her, and she hesitated before taking it. He pulled her onto the dance floor, the six of them moving to the beat of the song, smiling at each other, wondering if those that had passed on were dancing with them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed!


	36. The Fall of an Empire

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> inspired by @petreparkour 's idea about Ahsoka and the clones finding out that Anakin was a slave. I did a little twist with it where it's just Ahsoka and Rex but I hope it still gets the idea across :)
> 
> Update from July 12th, 2020- I just now realized that Obi-Wan technically told Ahsoka that Anakin was a slave in the Kadavo Arc, but we're just gonna pretend that didn't happen ;)

"There's no way in hell you're going on a mission dressed like that," Fives gave Ahsoka a once over, grimacing at the blue fabric draping her body and the gold pieces decorating her montrals.

"I don't like it either, but I have to play the part," Ahsoka grumbled, adjusting the green gems adorning her forehead.

"Play the part of what? A dancer at 79's?" 

"No, silly. I'm supposed to be playing the part of a slave," She winced at the word, not liking the way it rolled off her tongue, "Skyguy, Master Kenobi, Rex, and I are going to Kadavo to find the Togrutas that were kidnapped off of Kiros," 

"I still don't like the outfit," Fives scowled.

"Well, just be glad you're not going on the mission because you won't have to see it," she smirked at him.

"At least try and cheer General Skywalker up while you're there," 

"What do you mean?"

"He's been acting off ever since this morning,"

"And how do you know that?"

"Whenever there's something on his mind, he likes to keep himself distracted. Always goes to the hangar and tinkers with ships, or locks himself in a room with droids for a few hours,"

"Where is he now?"

"Down in his room I think; still getting ready for your mission," 

"I better go find him, I'll see you later," Ahsoka saluted him lazily.

Fives returned the gesture, "Good luck on your mission, Commander,"

\-------------------------------

"Hey, Rex, meet me down at Skyguy's quarters," Ahsoka pressed her comm.

"On it, Commander. Any particular reason why?" Rex responded.

"My Master needs some cheering up," she made her way down a few levels and marched to Anakin's room. Coming from the opposite side of the hallway, Rex met her in front of Anakin's door, already outfitted in Zygerrian armor, a golden helmet tucked under his arm, "Well, don't you look absolutely _dashing_ ," Ahsoka snorted.

Rex rolled his eyes, "Oh, shut it," he knocked on the door.

"Come in," Anakin's muffled voice sounded from inside. The door slid open, revealing him sitting at his desk, tinkering with who knows what kind of tech. Anakin turned around in his chair, "Hey, Snips," he nodded to her, "Rex,"

"Whatcha been up to, Master?" Ahsoka peered over his shoulder at the strewn-about parts and tools.

"Not really sure," Anakin avoided her gaze. Ahsoka shared a look with Rex before she replied.

"What's on your mind, Master?"

"What do you mean, Snips?" 

"Well, you always find a way to distract yourself when there's something on your mind. Particularly tinkering with things," she gestured to his messy desk.

"There's nothing on my mind. Just...mentally preparing for the mission,"

"Fives said you'd been acting weird ever since this morning, which leads me to believe that whatever kind of funk you're in has something to do with the mission,"

Anakin sighed and set his tools down, "The Zygerrians are slavers, Ahsoka,"

"Yes, I know, they're terrible people-"

" _I_ was a slave," Anakin said harshly, "My mother and I were slaves back on Tattoine," 

Ahsoka's eyes widened, a terrible feeling passing over her; the thought of one of the most powerful Jedi in all of existence once being bought and sold against his will, "Master...I'm so sorry. I had no idea. _We_ had no idea," she motioned to Rex standing beside her.

"It's ok, Snips, it's not your fault,"

"This mission must be...hard for you, Master,"

"A mission is a mission, Ahsoka, and it needs to get done. Besides," Anakin smirked, " I'd like nothing more than to see their slave empire fall to the ground,"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THanks for reading!


	37. The Neverending Mission

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Been in my feels lately and whenever I am I have a passion for writing sad things so here's Rex reacting to Fives' death but hopefully this'll be the only fic I write where Fives and Echo (presumably) are dead
> 
> Oof sorry for all my Fox people out there I can't say I did him good this fic
> 
> @TheMaskofaDepressedBrat here's a little bit of Fox but I should have Fives, Fox, and Echo for tomorrow :)

_The mission...the nightmares...they're...finally...over,_

Fives' words chimed in his head like an alarm that wouldn't go off. They repeated over and over again until it felt like they were the only words he knew. Rex sat up in his bed, his sore muscles screaming for sleep, and rubbed the back of his neck. 

_This is bigger than any of us,_

Fives had told him, but what did that _mean_? The inhibitor chips, a plot against the Jedi, what did it all _mean_? Fives knew something the rest of them didn't, Rex was sure of it. The fact that no one would ever know what he knew burned deep in his gut. 

Rex stood and trudged towards his desk; the pistol Fives had picked up sitting dismantled by his helmet. He picked up a datapad as he sat down, scrolling through Fives' file. 

CT-27-5555 "Fives" 

Status: deceased

_deceased_

Rex clenched his teeth at the word, not wanting to believe it. He chewed on his lip, thinking that he couldn't let what he saw or heard go to waste. There was something more to this than both he and the Jedi didn't understand. He owed it to his brother. He owed it to his best friend.

Rex tapped the screen, bringing up numbers counting down from three until the small camera on the datapad lit up.

"I already know this report's gonna fall on deaf ears, but I owe it to Fives to record what I saw. I'm not sure I believe it myself, but there's a possibility that the inhibitor chips the Kaminoans put inside of us have a purpose that we don't yet fully understand,"

The light from the camera flickered off as he stopped the recording and set the datapad down. 

Damn, he needed a break from all this shit. He needed a distraction. Not that anything _could_ distract him from what had happened, but he would try his damn best. Rex could've used a drink right now, but the only person that would have something strong enough to make him blackout drunk was Fives, and with his current dilemma, that wasn't going to help in the slightest. The next closest thing to getting drunk was hitting a punching bag until he dropped dead, which unfortunately would take him a while.

Rex stood from his chair and made his way to the sparring room, not coming across a single brother on his way there, the hallways feeling considerably cold without his armor. He almost laughed when he thought about how many times he'd gone to spar early in the morning because he needed a distraction. Too many times. Damn, he wished Ahsoka was here. She always knew how to get whatever was bothering him out. He'd give anything to see her again: even if it was just for a second. He'd give anything to see Fives again. To see Echo. To see any of his fallen brothers.

Rex didn't even bother wrapping his hands; he wanted to feel the pain. Every emotion and feeling in his body had gone numb, and he _needed_ to feel _something_ , and if pain could do that for him, then he was all in. He started out slow: a few jabs here and there as he walked around the bag, his knuckles flushing a light pink. And then it all hit him at once. Everything. And he couldn't stop himself from hitting the bag until his hands were glazed in blood, some of it dripping onto the floor.

"Rex," Fox's low voice echoed throughout the room, Rex being too caught up in his own thoughts to hear him walk through the door. Rex looked down at himself, panting, blood running down his palms as he opened and closed his hands.

"The hell do _you_ want, _Fox_ ," Rex spit out his name, "Cause if you came here to apologize, you mine as well leave while you still have the chance,"

"I'm sorry, Rex. I really am. He was my brother too,"

Rex sneered, "Then why did you put a blaster bolt in his chest?" 

Fox opened his mouth, then closed it, stepping closer to Rex, "I was doing my job," he hissed into his ear.

"So was he," Rex's back was still turned to Fox, his hands clenching and unclenching at his sides.

"Don't give me that shit, Rex, you _know_ what I had to-" Fox barely had time to react before Rex's bloody fist collided with his face and sent him stumbling backward. Fox could feel the blood dripping from his nose as Rex advanced and grabbed him by the front of his blacks, and raised his arm to throw another punch. Fox braced himself for all hell to break loose, but nothing happened. Rex lowered his arm, the look of fury on his face wilting into something Fox couldn't quite put his finger on.

"I'd kill you right where you stand, but lucky for you, I don't kill my own _brothers_ ," Rex snarled, releasing Fox from his grip and stormed out of the room, leaving Fox fumbling around for something to hold on to as he held a hand over his most likely broken nose.

Rex walked to the nearest 'fresher, needing to wash both his own and Fox's blood from his hands. The hot water from the faucet stung against his open flesh, reminding him that he was most definitely _not_ dreaming. Rex grabbed either side of the sink and bowed his head, then looked at himself in the mirror, sweat dripping down his brow. He growled, rinsing his hands off once more, and made his way back to his room to wrap his knuckles in bacta patches. It had felt _so_ good to punch Fox in the face: a guilty pleasure Rex would probably only get once in his short life, but it was worth it. Fox deserved it. Rex laid back down on his bed, his fresh cuts tingling against the bacta, and wished himself to sleep, the same neverending mission playing in his dreams.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ahhhh why do I make myself write these kinds of things :'(
> 
> I hope you enjoyed somewhat :(


	38. Darts But It Goes Bad

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This one started off as a Fives, Fox, and Echo one and idk really know what I did with it but I like it :)
> 
> for @TheMaskofaDepressedBrat

"79's tonight, Captain?" Fives spoke through his comm.

"Can't tonight, Fives, I have a lot of reports to fill in," Rex responded.

"Alright, but don't have too much fun without me!" Fives grinned.

"Very funny," Fives heard Rex turn his comm off with a beep and hoped his Captain wasn't too buried in work.

"Hey, Echo, you still on for 79's?"

"Ya, vod, anybody else coming?"

"Nope, just us,"

"Not even the Commander?"

"She told me earlier that she had Jedi training. I'm not sure who has training past 10 pm, but the Jedi work in mysterious ways,"

\------------------------------------------------

"I sure hope Wolffe isn't here," Fives peeked over shoulders looking for any sign of him or the Wolfpack. 

"What shit did you get into with him _this_ time?" Echo raised an eyebrow. 

"Oh nothing, I just don't wanna see him cause he'll try to kill me whether he has reason to or not,"

"Yo, look," Echo tapped him on the shoulder and pointed to a booth in the back, "Is that Fox?" 

"Who else would look that kriffing tired?" Fives laughed.

"Good point," Echo and Fives made their way over to Fox, who looked like he was on his third drink _at least_. 

"Hey, Fox, rough day, huh?" Fives slid into the seat across from him, Echo following.

"You have no idea," 

"Politicians?" Echo asked.

"Politicians," Fox look a long sip of the murky liquid then swirled it around in his glass, "Kriffing politicians,"

"I'll be back," Fives motioned for Echo to get up, and he walked to the bar to order drinks. Fives maneuvered through the crowd holding a glass of wine for himself and a small glass of beer for Echo. He slipped down beside Echo, who was making small talk with Fox and asking about his daily missions. Echo inspected the drink Fives put down in front of him, considering if he wanted to drink it or not.

"How've your missions been?" Fox leaned back into the booth.

"The usual," Fives laughed, "Rex got thrown off another cliff,"

"Damn, sucks for him,"

"Ya, it was hard to stay focused when you can hear him screaming through the comm," Echo chipped in, earning a low laugh from Fox. The three of them continued talking, Fox growing quite glad of the company. 

"Hey, you guys wanna play darts," Fives pointed to the small, circular board hanging against the wall on the other side of 79's. 

"Sure," Fox stood, bringing his glass with him as he moved through the crowd, Fives, and Echo in tow. Fox proceeded to pick up the sharp darts lying on a shelf by the board and handed an equal number out to the other two. 

"I bet you I can get a bullseye first try," Fives smirked.

"I was wondering how long it would take you to say the word 'bet'" Echo sighed.

"Watch," Fives pulled back his arm, closing one of his eyes and threw the dart, completely missing the board and landing on the back of a nearby clone's hand, "Fuck," 

"Oh damn," Fox covered his mouth.

"Fives, _what the hell_?!" The clone grimaced and plucked the dart out of his hand, a small trail of blood dripping down his finger.

Fives cocked his head and looked up at the clone's face, "How do you know my - shit,"

Comet grinned, "I think the galaxy _really_ wants Wolffe to kill your ass,"

"Vod, _please_ don't tell him," Fives begged.

"It's no fun if Wolffe doesn't find out," Comet shrugged.

"Why is it every time I do something that ends up going badly, the Wolfpack is around to see it?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you for reading!


	39. Tattoos

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bit of a shorter and more boring one today cause I'm working on a bigger one for the days to come so get ready for that :)
> 
> Also a little warning for you guys, I'm gonna be starting an online class soon and I'm not sure if I'll be able to keep writing one shots every day so I might have to switch to an every other day kind of schedule but I'll keep you guys posted :)

"What are you thinking of getting?" Fives walked down the hallway beside Jesse.

"The Republic Cog," Jesse grinned.

"You wanna tattoo _that_ on your face?"

"I'm gonna paint it on my helmet too,"

"You're crazy, vod," Fives shook his head.

"Who are we even going to?"

"Hawk,"

" _Hawk_ , is who you're taking me to?"

"Ya, haven't you seen his gunship art? Some of the best in the entire GAR. Good with a needle too,"

"I hope you're right,"

"I'm always right,"

"No, you're not,"

\---------------------------------------

" _Shit_ , I thought you said this wouldn't hurt!" Jesse winced as the needle passed over his forehead, inking the light gray image of the Republic cog onto him.

"I said it wouldn't hurt _much_ ," Fives smirked.

"You di'kut,"

"My tattoo hurt pretty bad too, but not as bad as yours will. Mine's a _lot_ smaller," he laughed.

"Ya, Echo had to hold him down to keep him from squirming," Hawk grinned.

"Hey, Hawk, let's not share too much, okay?"

"He even screamed at one point," 

" _Hey_ ," Fives glared at him, Jesse trying not to shake too much as he laughed.

"Sorry, not sorry," Hawk shrugged.

"Who else have you given tattoos too?" Jesse tried to get a glimpse of Hawk without moving his head.

"Kix, Hardcase, a lot of the 501st. I've lost count of how many by now. I do a lot of shinnies like you for the most part,"

"How much longer?"

"Not much, I'm almost finished," Hawk wiped away some of the ink above Jesse's eye, "There,"

"Woaaaah, this looks awesome!" Jesse looked in the mirror across from him and admired Hawk's handiwork.

Hawk laughed, "Great, now we’ve added another stupid, tattooed brother to the ranks,”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	40. Pipes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hehehe this is a short but fun one about the boys finding out that Rex hit his head on a pipe like a dumbass XD
> 
> Also thank you guys sososososososo much for over 5,000 hits and over 190 kudos!!!!!!

"We were walking down a hallway, and I hit-" Rex cleared his throat, "We saw Bane running in front of us,"

"Wait, wait, wait, go back," Fives didn't let the subject Rex _clearly_ wanted to avoid slip, "You said you hit something,"

"No, no," Rex averted Fives' glance, "I didn't hit anything,"

"Ahh, I think we've touched on a subject the Captain is _embarrassed_ about," Fives giggled along with Jesse, Kix, and Echo. At that, Rex's cheeks flushed a bright pink bringing him back to the day he hit his on a kriffing pipe. He remembered the giggles of the other clones he heard through the comm and the fact that he was sure there were enormous grins plastered to their faces.

"What did the Captain hit?" Jesse raised his eyebrows.

"A pipe," Rex whispered.

"YOU HIT A PIPE???" Fives spit out the water he was drinking.

"Well, it was _dark,_ and I couldn't see where I was going, so I walked into it," Rex shrugged.

"Naw, I think you were just stupid and ran into a pipe," 

"You would have done the same thing, Fives," 

"Hey, hey, don't turn this on _me_ , Rex, we're talking about you right now," Fives stood to go refill his cup, "Besides," he turned back to face them as he continued walking, "I'm not dumb enough to walk into-" 

Jesse winced as he watched Fives groan and fall to the ground, "Aw shit, he walked into a fucking pipe,"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahh poor Fives but I had to do it to em
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	41. The Toast Clone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Don't come after me cause I call him the toast clone because I know other people call him the sandwich clone but he was eating toast not a sandwich so he is the toast clone. Thank you for coming to my ted talk.
> 
> Enjoy my little fic about this legend

Today was like every other day: working at the kriffing cremation center. Sometimes he wished he'd have been put in the front lines, clad in armor, and given something _actually_ interesting to experience, but then again, at least he could live a somewhat long life working here. The wafting smell of singed bodies was an accustomed smell that filled his nose every day. At least he had his toast though. His brothers would make fun of him for always getting four slices of toast at the beginning of his evening shift, but he always shook the insults off. 

"Vod, _why_ are you eating your kriffing toast with a _fork_ ," his brother looked at him.

"Cause I didn't feel like eating it with my hands," he sighed, crossing his feet on the control panel and leaning back in his chair.

"You're strange, man,"

"Whatever,"

"We got a delivery," three caskets lowered from the ceiling.

"Hey, wait. It looks like a couple of them are showing vital signs," 

"All right, I'll check it out," his brother opened one of the caskets, and the man from inside, very much alive, kicked him in the face causing him to stumble back into the control board. Not knowing what else to do, he threw his plate of half-eaten toast at the blue man. The plate, toast, and fork clattered to the ground as he picked up a nearby blaster, aiming for the man, but shot his own brother. Before he knew it, the man had pushed him back into the chair, taking the blaster from his hands and pulled the trigger sending a blue bolt into his chest. He slumped up against the back of the chair, the fighting around him a mere haze.

Once the three of them left, his gaze shifted to the stray toast lying on the floor. He pulled himself down onto the floor groaning at the sizzling wound on his chest and picked up one of the slices, "One...last...bite," 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> t o a s t


	42. Blaze It

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ahsoka and the boys because I love them :)

"Do you guys have birthdays?" Ahsoka scrunched her facial markings.

"What?" Rex turned to her.

"Do clones have birthdays?" She looked between the four of them.

"Well, technically yes, but none of us know what they are," Rex said.

"The cloners on Kamino didn't tell you?" Ahsoka frowned.

"Why would they?" Fives looked at her, "They had no reason to. Besides, we don't mind. It's never been that important to us," 

"That's sad," Ahsoka bowed.

"How so?" Jesse took a sip of his caf.

"You don't have a day to celebrate that's yours,"

"With all due respect, Commander, nothing is ours," Echo did a wonderful job at lightening the mood in the empty mess hall. Ahsoka sighed, swirling the spoon in her steaming caf, feeling gloomy that the one thing that the clones should have had to themselves was something they didn't even know. 

"I'm sorry,"

"Eh, don't beat yourself up about it," Rex patted her shoulder.

"If you were to have birthdays, though, would you have it twice a year? Cause you grow at twice the rate of a normal person?" Ahsoka smirked, eliciting a scoff from Rex.

"Who knows, kid," Rex sighed, "Who knows," the six of them sat at the table, arms around one another, soaking in the feeling of them just being together. It was times like these where they all felt truly at home. Long nights filled with hot cups of caf and the warm bodies of their brothers and sister made them push through the daily feat of war, just so they could be with each other again. Neither of them wanted to succumb to the full weight of war, pinning them to the ground. 

"If you could choose a day for your birthday, what day would it be?" Ahsoka asked them, her brothers exchanging glances.

"Hell, I have no idea," Jesse let out a breath.

"Me neither," Rex agreed.

"Oh, I know what I would want mine to be," Fives giggled, a sly smile creeping onto his face, "4/20,"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me while writing this: is 420 a thing in star wars?
> 
> Also me: fuck it who cares
> 
> thanks for reading lmfao XD


	43. The Boys Do Not Approve

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> hehehe the boys find out about Lux 
> 
> also thank you to everyone who comments it makes me so happy to see a (1) in my inbox and they all make me laugh so thank you again

"Hey, kid," Rex turned to Ahsoka, her gaze fixed on the wall in front of her, " _Kid_ ," 

"Huh?" Ahsoka snapped her head around.

"Something on your mind?" The two of them sat on the floor of her room, Rex scrolling through a datapad and Ahsoka leaning against the wall, lost in her imagination. Jesse was spinning around in her desk chair, and Fives was lying on her bed, tossing a bouncy ball into the air.

"No..." Ahsoka sighed.

"More like a who," Fives said without looking at them.

"What?" Rex inquired.

"The Commander's thinkin' about someone," Fives teased her, Ahsoka's face turning a deeper orange.

"Oooo, does the Commander have a _crush_ ?" Jesse stopped spinning in the chair to quirk an eyebrow at her, "You _have_ to tell us," the two of them squealed like children, their attention turning completely to Ahsoka.

"Come _on;_ we always tell you when we have a crush," Fives continued to throw the ball in the air.

"Correction: _you_ always tell us when _you_ have a crush," Rex pointed out.

"No relevant right now, Captain. So who is it? Better not be some annoying ass civvie," Fives laughed.

"No, no," Ahsoka grumbled, throwing her head back against the wall, "When I was heading back to Coruscant a few days ago I got... sidetracked,"

"You like that Bonterri kid?!" Fives completely forgot about the ball he'd thrown into the air, the sphere coming to land on his head when he sat up.

"Don't rub it in, Fives," Ahsoka mumbled.

"You could do a lot better than him,"

"Not helping, vod," Jesse slapped his shoulder.

Fives shooed him away, "I'm just being honest,"

"And I know Jedi aren't allowed to form attachments, but..."

Rex laughed, "Tell that to the General,"

"What do you mean?" Fives looked at him, quirking an eyebrow. 

"Ya, what are you talking about?" Jesse added. Rex and Ahsoka shared a nervous glance, confirming that the Commander, too, knew what Rex was talking about.

"Nothing, I'm just joking," Rex reassured them.

"Uh-huh, sure. Anyways, what does he look like?" Fives turned to Ahsoka, his chin resting on his fist.

"Pale skin, dark brown hair, brown eyes, slim face," 

"Doesn't sound very attractive," Fives scoffed, Ahsoka glaring at him, "What else?"

"Well, um... he may or may not have uh... kissed me," Ahsoka rubbed the back of her neck. 

" _He what?!"_ The three of them shouted in unison.

"No, no, no, no, that's not acceptable," Fives stood up, grabbed his blasters, and shoved them in his holsters, frantically looking around for his helmet.

"Fives, sit down," Ahsoka pleaded.

"Nope, he doesn't get to pull up and kiss my Commander," Fives glanced at Jesse and Rex who were also stuffing their blasters in their holsters, ready to walk out the door, "Boys," he grinned, "I think we have some ass-kicking to do,"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! gonna go do my homework now :(


	44. The Beauty of War

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ah a little bit of sad boi hours influenced this fic but I don't think it's too bad :)
> 
> As always, requests are open, but a disclaimer: I most likely won't do any ships because I'm trying to keep this series ship-free :)

"Where are you going?" Rex groaned as he felt Ahsoka stirring next to him. Setting up camp in the form of tents wasn't the most comfortable thing, but they managed to make it somewhat relaxing by using each other as pillows. Fives, Echo, and Jesse were sound asleep next to him, soft snores venting from the three of them.

"Just need some fresh air. You can come if you want," Ahsoka whispered.

"It's alright, you go," Rex lowered his head and slipped his eyes shut. Fives then shifted, throwing a leg over Rex's and tucking his head into his shoulder, loud snores vibrating in the Captain's ear, "On second thought," Rex sat up, shoving Fives off of him and slipping on his boots.

It was still dark outside, no sign of light sliding past the horizon, and the soft melody of crickets was winding between the trees. The thick, humid smell of rain from the previous night filled their noses, small dewdrops coating their boots. They weaved their way through the many tents set up along the outcropping, a few lights on here or there, but dark for the most part. A light fog covered the campground, seeping into the already damp soil, the stars still shining through the light cloud cover.

"Where exactly are we going?" Rex mumbled. Ahsoka was leading him towards a small hill on the far side of their camp that peaked over the treeline.

"We're gonna go watch the sunrise," she smiled, looking over her shoulder at him. Rex wasn't sure he'd actually woken up to see the sunrise before, but he had sure stayed up long enough to see the sun peak through the windows of his office back on Coruscant.

As they began their slow ascent on the hill, a few rays of sunlight began to peek up above the trees. The fog started to dissipate, being replaced by light flooding the forest floor. He followed Ahsoka up to the top of the hill, where she smoothed out a spot in the sodden grass, then sat down. Rex took a seat beside her, his palms falling between his crossed legs, toying with the grass. His eyes remained fixed on the skyline, waiting for the hot sun to glide over the edge, bringing day with it. The chirps of birds gradually succeeded the songs of crickets, their sweet ballads wafting through the air like that of freshly baked cookies. 

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Ahsoka turned to him.

"Indeed, it is. Much more beautiful than Kamino," he let out a chuckle, "Much more beautiful than anything I thought I'd ever see,"

"I know the feeling. I never thought I'd see these kinds of places, but then the war came and..."

"And we get to witness the beauty of the universe,"

"I just wish it wasn't the war that brought us here," Ahsoka leaned back, bracing herself with her hands.

"Me too, but... I wouldn't be sitting here with you if not for the war," Rex dropped his head.

"It's such an awful thing, but it brings people together in a way that normal life can't. Even if the whole basis of war is splitting people apart,"

They both watched as the sun rose out of the sky, a rosy pink dying the atmosphere. Ahsoka tipped her head back and sighed, letting the warm air coat her skin, a toothy smile sweeping across her face. 

"I'm glad I met you, kid," Rex turned to her.

"I'm glad I met you too, Rexster," she smirked. They both sat there, gloomily awaiting the time when they had to leave, but before the sun climbed higher, and the men started to wake, it was not a Jedi and a clone, it was a brother and a sister.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	45. Dark Hours

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hit a bit of a block while writing this and I'm not 100% pleased with how it came out, but it's all I got for today :|
> 
> Just to provide context this is from that episode in season 4 where Obi-Wan gets fake-killed to go undercover but Cody doesn't know that :(

Cody was having one _hell_ of a day. The 212th was back on Coruscant, and that meant _stacks_ of reports for the Commander. Fortunately, he had finished most of them pretty early, the chrono on his desk reading 10:23. He blinked slowly, realizing he hadn't eaten since the morning, his stomach grumbling at the thought of food.

He hadn't heard from General Kenobi all day, a small seed of worry sprouting in his gut as he made his way to the mess hall. The tables had mostly emptied, seldom men still eating as he walked through the door. Cody groaned, wandering over to the kitchen, his muscles needing a stretch from all the hours he spent sitting. He loaded his plate up with food and filled a cup of caf, for he knew he'd need it if he was going to finish all the reports. As he was waiting for the caf machine to finish, the comm on his wrist started to beep, and he so greatly hoped it was from his General. 

"Commander Cody here," he picked up his plate, wanting to set it down, then go back for his caf.

"Commander," General Plo Koon's voice sounded from his wrist.

"What can I do for you, General?" Cody was curious as to why a General he rarely spoke to wanted to talk to him at this hour. 

"I regret to inform you that," Plo sucked in a breath, "That Master Kenobi is dead,"

_What?_

All of his muscles immediately stopped working, his brain shutting down at the words that came from the General's mouth. His plate came crashing down to the durasteel floor, food splattering a nearby table.

_Dead_.

The word bounced around in his head, his mind succumbing to emptiness, "I-I... _what?_ " Cody mumbled.

"I'm sorry, Commander. You deserved to know. He was a great friend to us all." Plo's tone dropped on the last sentence as he closed the comm leaving Cody alone with information he couldn't wrap his head around. 

_Obi-Wan_ _Kenobi_

The General he was so proud and so grateful to serve under was gone. Cody's eyes flickered, searching the room for an answer to his question. Was he really gone? Or was this some cruel, torturous dream the dark webs of his mind had spun to make him feel sick and disoriented? Not knowing what to do, he made his way back to his office, the food he had once so desperately wanted, forgotten on the floor along with the caf he could now smell burning on the counter. _Damn_ , he needed a _drink_ right about now. Where was Fives when you actually kriffing needed him.

Cody slumped down into his desk chair, running his palms over his face and through his hair, double-checking if he was living in the real world or if it was all just a figment of his imagination. His head ran in circles, chasing his sanity, just trying to get a _grip_ on it. There was no way in hell he was going to be able to finish his work, let alone stare it long enough to comprehend a single word. _A shower,_ he thought, _A shower could do me good right now_.

\-----------------------------------------

Cody turned the handle on the shower, slowly warming water dancing along his hand and forearm. He stripped off his snug blacks, throwing them onto the ground as he stepped under the stream of water. He ran a hand through his hair, slicking it back against his scalp as the water droplets cascaded down his body and pooled down into the drain. He didn't seem to notice when the lights shut off, leaving him in pitch black, similar to what it was like in his mind. Perhaps someone didn't realize he was in here. Cody couldn't bring himself to care. He was left to listen to the splatter of water against his chest, and inhale the steam wafting from the now hot water.

_Fucking hell_ , his General was _dead_. The thought hit him like an ion cannon right in the chest. The two years of war that they built up together, the trust they had formed; it was all for nothing at this point. He'd probably be assigned a new General or put into another battalion, and he'd have to start that process all over again. Although, maybe he'd die before he got the chance. That was somewhat reassuring. 

As he stood in the shower motionless, his hands braced against the wall, he couldn't remember when tears started to slip down his face, and he frankly couldn't tell where they ended, and the water began. He couldn't recall when he had sat down either, his legs crossed and his head angled under the stream of water as he sobbed into his palms. Nor could he recollect how long he had sat there, only that it was till the water ran cold.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Showers in the dark hit d i f f e r e n t and I would totally recommend taking one if you never have
> 
> thanks for reading by the way!


	46. The Questionable Idea

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I've always wanted to write a scenario where Rex got to use a Jedi's lightsaber so I finally got around to writing it :)
> 
> Also ducks are canon

"Take cover!" Ahsoka yelled as she ducked behind a tree. The droid army was closing in on them, forcing their ranks further back than they anticipated. She was responsible for leading her men to a nearby outpost, forcing it into Republic control, but so far, she hadn't succeeded. They were just too outnumbered. 

"There's too many of them!" Rex called to her from a nearby tree, then peeked around the trunk to fire at the droids. Ahsoka peered around the tree at what seemed like endless ranks of clankers, only to nearly take a blaster bolt to the face. She snapped her head back behind cover, then looked back at Rex.

"We have to keep going; we need that outpost! And if we fall back, they'll just follow us back to base,"

"Good point, but I don't know how much longer we can take this! We're practically sitting ducks," Rex ducked back behind the tree, hitting the top of his blaster, "Ah, shit, blaster's jammed!" He slid it back into his holster, putting the other DC-17 in his hand and firing back at the droids, "Are you kriffing kidding me?!" He pulled his arm back, his second blaster not firing either, "Two in one day is a new record," he mumbled.

"Rex! What's wrong?" Ahsoka called to him.

"Blasters aren't working!" He responded, keeping himself tucked behind the tree. What Ahsoka was thinking was a questionable idea, to say the least, but then again, Anakin Skywalker was her Master, and it was most definitely something he would do. She extinguished her shoto blade, looking at it and then to Rex.

"Hey, Rex, you ever used a lightsaber before?!" She held up her shoto.

" _What_ , no!" 

"Well, first time for everything. Catch!" She tossed him her lightsaber, and he _almost_ dropped it.

"What am I supposed to do with this?" He looked at her helplessly.

"Destroy some clankers, of course! Make sure to go for the baster first though," Ahsoka could hear the nearing metal footsteps of the droids, and now would be their best chance of destroying them, "Come on!" She waved an arm and moved from her cover, slicing through droids with her single blade. 

"Commander, I'm not a Jedi I-" Rex mentally face-palmed but had to admit that she was right. This was the one idea they had, and it wasn't like he could still use his blasters. At least, Rex would have a hell of a story to tell when he got back to his brothers. _If_ he got back to his brothers that is. "Kriff this shit, I'm gonna use a lightsaber," he ignited the yellow-green blade and marveled at the beauty of it before he stepped out from behind the tree and followed Ahsoka into the rows of clankers.

Rex had seen the Jedi use lightsabers since the day the war started, and he hoped that he would be able to pick it up on the fly. Cutting down droids with a laser-sword was a new experience, he could admit he rather liked. Rex listened to Ahsoka's advice to go for the blaster first, and he had to confess: hearing the surprised monotone voice of the droids ask why a clone has a lightsaber quite pleased him. It was satisfying to watch the blade slice them in half and hear the short, sizzling sound that followed. He could get used to this.

"You're doing pretty good!" Ahsoka laughed next to him as she deflected blaster bolts.

"Don't jinx it, I don't want to lose an arm," he gritted his teeth as they continued to push through the Separatist forces, their own following close behind them. He could hear his brothers through the comm asking when another Jedi showed up, only to realize it was their Captain. He took pride in the fact that he now had something to brag about to Fives for once in his short life. 

Before he knew it, he and Ahsoka had cut down almost the entire company of droids, and he found himself feeling disappointed there wasn't more. Rex disengaged the plasma blade and handed it back to Ahsoka, his breath coming in short pants. 

"That was fun," he grinned underneath his helmet.

"Ya, but it was a little too close for my liking," Ahsoka wiped the dust off of her dress.

"I hope we never have to do it again,"

"I thought you said it was fun,"

"It was, but I never want to do it again. Too stressful," Rex shook his head. 

Ahsoka smirked, "Wait until Fives finds out, he'll be so jealous,"

"Oh I know, I'm gonna hold it over his head for the rest of his life,"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you for reading!


	47. A New Family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> My three Jedi babies talk about their parents :)
> 
> Anakin has daddy issues and nothing can change my mind

"Isn't it weird to think that I don't have a dad?" Anakin said as he fiddled with his toy starship.

" _ Wait, what _ ??" Ahsoka stopped spinning in his desk chair, "You don't have a  _ father _ ??"

"Didn't I tell you that?" Anakin scrunched his brow.

"No! Did you know that, Master?" She pointed to Obi-Wan, who appeared to be quite interested in whatever was on his datapad. 

"Yes, I did," he told her without looking up, "Anakin's mother said that there was no father. That she just became pregnant one day," Anakin winced a little at the mention of his mother.

"That's so  _ weird _ ," Ahsoka started spinning in the chair again. 

"You get used to it," Obi-Wan so desperately wanted to say that Anakin had daddy issues, but he knew better than to pick a fight with someone who has daddy issues. 

"I wonder what my dad is like," Ahsoka tilted her head up to the ceiling, "I wonder if he looks like me. Do you ever wonder what your parents look like," she glanced at Obi-Wan.

"I've never really thought about it. Best to not get distracted by it, though," Obi-Wan looked back down at his datapad.

"Oh, come on! You have to admit that you've at least thought about your parents a little bit! I wonder whose eyes you have, maybe your mothers. And-and your hair might be your father's," Ahsoka giggled.

"Ahsoka," Obi-Wan smiled, nearly rolling his eyes.

"My mother was beautiful. I wish I could see her again, even for a second," Anakin's glance shifted to the floor, and they all went silent.

"I don't mean for this to be offensive, Master, but at least you got to see your mother," Ahsoka sighed.

"I'm sorry, Snips," Anakin mumbled, "It must be hard not even  _ knowing _ your parents," 

"It's ok, Master," Ahsoka gestured to the three of them, "I think I've found a brand new family right here,"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	48. Clones are Kriffing Artists

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just the 501st having gunship art competitions to show off because the stuff clones can paint is absolutely beautiful

"Alright, you all should know the rules, but I'll go over them one more time in case you forgot the previous five times I've explained them," Kix stated sharply. Clones were gathered all around him, anxiously waiting for the competition to begin. Every so often, they'd have a contest to see who could paint the best gunship art. It was a time for betting and relaxation, but mostly betting. Posters, holovids, sweets, and credits were among some of the things traded, and occasionally a bottle of liquor if Fives was feeling particularly lucky, "Pretty much anything goes: you can use any part of the gunship, any color paint, whatever. No help from others and no sabotage, _Slammer_ ," Kix glared at him, "Understand?" Various forms of 'yes sir' and 'hell ya' emitted from the contestants, "Let the competition begin," he commenced the match and watched the boys get to work. 

This match's players consisted of a pretty even divide between pilots and regular troopers. The competitors were Hawk, Axe, Kickback, Matchstick, Jesse, Denal, and Echo. Hawk won the last two times, so he was the crowd favorite. They all had two hours to complete their painting, and the race was on.

"Who do you think is gonna win?" Fives nudged his shoulder.

"Honestly, I'm not sure," Kix responded, "Could be anyone, although I don't have too much confidence in Jesse," he let out a laugh.

"I heard that!" Jesse called from somewhere nearby.

"I'm just being honest, vod," Kix said back.

\----------------------------------------

Time passed by rather quickly, the clones' masterpieces slowly coming together on the gunships.

"Alright, boys, 60 seconds left!" Kix's voice echoed through the hangar, the participating clones frantically trying to finish up their last touches, "5, 4, 3, 2, 1! Time's up, brushes down! Who should we start with, huh? Jesse, you wanna go first?"

"We can start the bar off low," Fives giggled beside him.

Giving Fives a quick scowl, Kix walked over to the gunship Jesse had been working on, "What do we have here, Jess?"

"Well, the _beautiful_ masterpiece you see before you is a tooka!" He grinned at the crowd, none of them looking pleased with his painting. 

"That doesn't look like a tooka!" Someone from the crowd called.

"On to the next one," Fives cringed and began walking towards Matchstick's. Jesse groaned for he knew his was nowhere _near_ the standards of the other's, but at least he tried. Matchstick's was _a lot_ better, to say the least, a viscous Zillo beast in 501st blue plastered to the side of the ship. It was hard to tell if Axe's was funny or extremely disturbing, for it was only General Skywalker's missing hand holding his lightsaber. Next was Kickback. His was of one of the space-faring Purrgil **([this](https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/starwars/images/6/62/Purgill_SWCT.png/revision/latest?cb=20161001045648)[ is a](https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/starwars/images/6/62/Purgill_SWCT.png/revision/latest?cb=20161001045648)**[ **purrgil**](https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/starwars/images/6/62/Purgill_SWCT.png/revision/latest?cb=20161001045648) **)** devouring a mouthful of clankers. Denal's, although not very big, had immense detail, the two lightsabers of their General and Commander forming an x on the side of the door. 

Now it was time to see the reigning champ's work of art. Hawk had a smug grin cemented to his face as he watched the mob take in the stunning picture of a Vixus **(**[ **this is a** **vixus**](https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/starwars/images/2/20/Vixus-SW.jpg/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/499?cb=20150203040545) **)** on the nose of the ship, its tentacles roaming over the sides. 'Oohs' and 'aahs' formulated from the many clones as they raked their eyes over Hawk's work.

"Now _that's_ gunship art," Fives marveled at the Vixus, "My credits are on this one,"

"You don't even have credits, vod," Kix groaned.

"Well if I had them I'd bet them on Hawk's,"

Last but certainly not least was Echo's. Kix was sure that everyone's jaw dropped to the floor, including his own. What Echo created was far beyond anything they'd ever seen before. It had the creativity, the scale, and the detail, perhaps making it today's winner. On the side of the gunship, beside the pilot's seat, was a beautifully painted picture of Anakin Skywalker, Jedi Knight, along with his trusted padawan, Ahsoka Tano, and the most exceptional Captain in the GAR, his hands gripping his DC-17s and his arms crossed in an x across his chest. The words 'The 501st's Best' was written in Aurebesh beneath the three figures. 

Kix continued to gape at Echo's gem, still in awe, "I think we might have a winner,"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading, and as always requests are open :)


	49. The Boys Do Not Approve Pt. 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A little sequel to the first one and this time it's when they're helping the rebels on Onderon.
> 
> Kinda bad and kinda short but I wanted to write it :)
> 
> Also, thank you guys for over 7,000 hits and 240 kudos it means a lot to me :)

"Come on! Hustle! Go, go, go, go, go!" Rex shouted at the Onderon rebels. He was a little on edge because of the fact that these rebels weren't trained soldiers bred for war, like his brothers. It made them harder to teach. A few of them were quick learners, but the others didn't have the best of luck. He was  _ also _ on edge with the fact that  _ Lux Bonterri _ , the di'kut who thought it was ok to kiss his Commander, just so happened to be here. Rex so badly wanted to punch him the face on behalf of his brothers back on  _ The Resolute _ . He could see Ahsoka glance in Lux's direction every so often, and it burned a hole of disgust into Rex's stomach. 

"Alright, everybody take a quick break," Anakin said to the group. Many of them wandered to the treeline in pairs, talking amongst themselves, but Lux strayed over to stand behind the thick brush. Rex thought his time was either now, or never, so he took his chance to confront Bonterri. 

"Tough luck back there, huh," Rex sauntered over beside him, crossing his arms.

"Perhaps Saw was right. This is no place for a senator," Lux leaned against the trunk of a tree.

"Eh, you'll get it. Just takes practice," Rex walked even closer, and he could feel the discomfort practically pouring from Lux, "But one thing you're  _ not _ getting is my Commander," Rex grabbed Lux's collar and pushed him back against the tree, "You stay the  _ hell _ away from her. You so much as lay a finger on her, and I'll make sure you lose it. She is off-limits, do you understand?" Lux looked up at Rex, panic filling his eyes, and nodded frantically, " _ Say it _ ,"

"I understand, I promise," 

"Good," Rex let go of him and stepped back to allow Lux to run off and join the others. He hoped his threat would hold up, but until he left, Rex was sure to keep an eye on the senator. Man, the boys would surely be disappointed to find out they missed out on the opportunity to make Bonterri pay for his actions. Rex would never hear the end of it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	50. An Injured Captain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I think the title does a good amount of explaining so I'll just leave it there :)
> 
> Wow I can't believe I've hit 50 chapters, writing all these one shots has been an adventure and a challenge for me and thank you for all the support in the comments and the kudos, they really keep me going :)

"Quick, everyone get on the gunships!" Anakin deflected blaster bolt after blaster bolt aimed at their troops, trying to buy as much time as he could for his men to get on the ships, "Rex, go help with the injured! Ahsoka, and I can handle this!"

"Yes, sir!" Rex ducked behind Anakin and rushed to help Kix with the stretchers of his wounded brothers. He pulled dozens of stretchers onto gunships, then signaled to the pilots that they were good to go. He watched as more ships landed to pick up the rest of them who were well and able, "Men, on the gunships, now!" They gladly obeyed his command and swiftly made their way into the safety of the ship. 

Blaster bolts whizzed past Rex's face, nearly hitting his visor, another hitting him square in the shoulder, forcing him back a few steps. Two others passed under his arm, scathing the gunship behind him as it took off. Gasping for breath, Rex rushed to get his brothers onboard and out of here. 

"General, Commander, let's go!" He called to them as their lightsabers shot through the air at lightning speed, blocking the Separatist fire.

"Ahsoka, go! I'll cover you!" Anakin stepped in front of her, allowing Ahsoka to back away towards the one remaining gunship, which was nervously waiting for them. Anakin soon followed, the doors shutting behind him as he heard the soft thumps of bolts harmlessly hitting the outside of the ship, "That was a close one," he smirked.

"A little too close, if you ask me," Ahsoka's grip tightened on the handlebar as the ship maneuvered in the air. 

"What's the casualty count?" Anakin nodded his head in Kix's direction. 

"Not 100% sure, sir, we're still waiting on reports for who's uh... missing," Kix swallowed the lump in his throat, "We have 58 injured that are accounted for, but there could be more,"

"We took a beating," Anakin rubbed his temple, "Everyone on here is alright, though?" He looked at all the faces in the gunship, checking for signs of distress. They all nodded as their gazes met with Anakin's until he got to Rex. 

"Rex? _Rex_ ," Anakin's voice didn't register in Rex's head as his vision became blurry, and he started to feel his hand slipping from the handlebar. _Guess that blaster bolt didn't miss me after all_ , he laughed to himself as his eyelids shut, sending him into peaceful unconsciousness. 

"Rex!" Kix watched his eyes roll back in his head, and his legs beginning to collapse in on themselves. He caught Rex before his knees could hit the ground and laid his Captain's body lightly onto the floor of the gunship, "Get me a medkit, now!" Kix threw his hand into the air and motioned for someone to bring it to him. He checked Rex's pulse, thankful he wasn't dead, then pulled a scanner from his belt to help try and find his injury. 

"Kix, what's wrong with him?" Ahsoka kneeled beside him.

"Blaster bolt hit him on the underside of his arm where there's no armor. And one skimmed his side, too," Kix pressed his hand against Rex's slightly torn blacks, scarred, red skin showing through the holes. Some blood was already starting to trickle out of the wound, seeping through the black material and onto Kix's gloved hands as he tried to stop the flow of it. Someone placed a medkit beside him, and he reached for a stim shot, injecting the fluid into the Captain's neck, "Hand me some bacta patches, will you?" He pointed to Ahsoka. Kix poked around in Rex's chest plate, trying to find the clasps that held it together, then took it off and began to cut a slit in the thin material. He peeled away the blacks around the blaster wound and took the bacta patches Ahsoka handed him and got to work.

"Will he be alright, Kix?" Anakin loomed over his shoulder, tensely watching the Captain.

Kix finished applying the bacta patches and stood, "He'll be fine, General. Just a couple hours of sleep and some fresh bacta patches every now and then should be all he needs,"

\-------------------------------------------

All he could feel was the soreness of his muscles creeping along the side of his chest and winding up towards his shoulder. He groaned, squeezing his eyes shut at the blinding light emitting from the med bay ceiling. As he sat up, he swore he could see stars, his hazy vision slowly focusing on Kix standing at the edge of the cot. 

"Take it easy, vod, don't strain yourself," Kix shined a light in Rex's eyes.

"How long was I out?" Rex grimaced as Kix checked the bacta patches on his side.

"Only a couple of hours, although you should get some more sleep tonight,"

"Like that's gonna happen," Rex thought about all the time he wasted, which could have used to fill out reports that were surely stacking up on his desk.

"It will," Kix said firmly, "Doctor's orders," Rex always disliked the fact that medics could pull rank on him, but he supposed it was for the best. 

"The boys have a little surprise for you, though," Kix grinned and pulled out a box from a nearby counter. He handed it to Rex, and the Captain only smiled at the abundance of sweets and forbidden foods collected from various planets throughout the galaxy that sat in the box. It was common for batchmates to share what they had with an injured brother, but in Rex's case, it seemed like everyone had chipped in. It warmed every inch of his heart to see small pieces of torn paper with 'get well soon' and 'feel better' inscribed on them. Rex _truly_ had a family. They all did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THank you so much for reading!


	51. Those Who Dance and Those Who Don't

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kind of based on when Drax says "there are two kinds of people in the universe, those who dance, and those who do not" in Guardians of the Galaxy
> 
> Also the Cha Cha Slide is now canon I just had to write it in because that song is amazing and I have no regrets
> 
> @Multiple_Fandom_Writer Fives and Ahsoka pranking Wolffe, Fox, and Cody should be on its way tomorrow so get ready :)
> 
> Enjoy, my friends ;)

"Let me guess: the General threw you off another cliff," Fives pointed at Rex, trying to pinpoint his Captain's reason for a long face.

"No, Fives, I'm just tired," Rex rubbed his temple and took a short sip of his whiskey.

"You say that every time, Cap," Fives flashed him a grin.

"But this time I actually mean it," 

"Alright then, more fun for us," he shrugged, slipping out of the booth at 79's and following Ahsoka and his other brothers.

"He's not comin', is he?" Jesse huffed.

"No, I guess not," Fives sighed.

"Told you so,"

"Wait, why not?" Ahsoka quirked a marking.

"Well, you see, there are people who dance, and there are people who don't," Fives wrapped an arm around both Jesse and Ahsoka, already starting to feel a bit sluggish from the alcohol.

"I think everyone dances," Ahsoka shifted out from Fives' grip and wove through the crowd back to the booth, "They just need the proper motivation!" She shouted over her shoulder. She watched as Rex leaned farther back into the cushion of the seat like he was settling in for the night, which he most certainly was not. As much as she hated to admit it, it was true that Rex needed to loosen up every once in a while.

"If you came back to try and convince me to go dancing, you're wasting your time," Rex let out a breath. 

"Rex ol' boy, you need to have some fun," Ahsoka playfully hit his shoulder.

"I don't dance, Commander,"

"Oh cut the bantha shit, Rex, you're coming with us," she used the Force to push away his drink as he reached for it earning her a glare from the Captain. 

Rex had to imagine she used her weird Force-strength to pull him out of the booth by his arm because she had done it _way_ too effortlessly. She hauled him by his forearm to where Fives, Jesse, and Kix were already moving to the song blasting throughout the bar. 

"Ahsoka, I-"

" _Rex_ ," she laughed, "Dance with us!" She pulled him into the lines people had formed in the middle of the bar, listening to the directions from the song.

_Right foot let's stomp_

_Left foot let's stomp_

_FREEEEEEZE_

_Everybody clap yo hands!!_

The entire bar filled with clapping and overflowing with smiles and laughs, Rex finally giving in to the flow of the music and dancing along.

"Ay, vod, you finally decided to join us," Fives grinned.

"Don't make me regret it, Fives," Rex laughed.

"Yes, sir," Fives weakly saluted him, the four of them blending into the atmosphere of the room, the thought of a galaxy-wide war fading into the distance as did all others.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	52. Switcheroo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> requested by @Multiple_Fandom_Writer
> 
> Fives and Ahsoka are back at it again with pranks so get ready
> 
> Oh boy, this one is looooooooong took me till 2 in the morning to finish but it was worth it
> 
> Might do a part 2 to this, although I'm not sure
> 
> Gonna be working on the other requests as well, I have quite a few on my list :)

"Are you sure this is gonna work?" Ahsoka whispered as she and Fives walked through the barracks. 

"No, but I have faith that it will," Fives claimed.

"And if it doesn't?" 

"Don't have a plan if it doesn't, but whatever," Fives shrugged it off. The two of them were back to their shenanigans as always, and they both realized it had been too long since they pranked someone. 

"Ok, wait, can you go over it one more time?"

"Sure. We wait until Wolffe, Cody, and Fox are all asleep, we take their armor and switch it up, so like Cody gets Wolffe's, Wolffe get's Fox's, and Fox gets Cody's,"

"But how do we make sure they can't switch back when they wake up?"

"Simple; we turn their alarms back a few minutes so they'll have no time to go seek out the other. Neither of them would want to be late,"

"Especially Cody," Ahsoka laughed.

" _Especially_ Cody," Fives agreed.

"And what's our plan for when they catch us?"

"They won't catch us,"

"You're not serious, are you? Who else do you think would do something like this? They'll know it was us they second they see different armor lying on the floor,"

"Eh, I mean probably,"

"And we can't avoid them forever,"

"Well, you can, you have immunity cause you're a Jedi, but see I'm fair game,"

"If you're so worried about what they'll do to you, then why are you pranking them?"

"Because it's fun,"

" _Because it's fun??_ Oh, brother," Ahsoka rolled her eyes.

"What? It is," Fives backed himself up.

"Alright, then," 

"Hey, you wanted to do this too,"

"True," the two of them continued to walk in circles around the conjoined barracks, passing by Wolffe, Cody, and Fox and waiting for them to fall asleep, "Do they ever go to bed?!" Ahsoka groaned, "It's already passed midnight,"

"Time is of the essence to them, but they'll collapse of exhaustion soon enough," within another 25 minutes, the three of them had passed out on their cots, armor lying in neat piles by the edge of their bunks, ripe for the taking.

"Who do we start with first?"

"Cody; the man's a heavy sleeper," Fives and Ahsoka tip-toed over to Cody's bunk where he lay fast asleep, his head buried in his pillow, "Get his helmet, his boots, and his utility belt, I'll get the rest," he whispered.

"You sure? That's a lot of armor," Ahsoka mumbled.

"I'll be fine. Also, set the alarm back like 20 minutes or something," Fives carefully scooped up Cody's orange-tinted armor, Ahsoka tinkering with the chrono before she finally managed to change the alarm. They then made their way across the barracks to Fox's bunk. They carefully moved Fox's red armor out of the way to replace it with Cody's, stacking it as if it had never been touched and had only changed colors, "You got the alarm?"

"Yeah, let's go," Ahsoka whispered.

"Wolffe is going to be the hardest,"

"Why, exactly?"

"Cause he's surrounded by the Wolfpack. Bastards always got his back," 

"Can't we just let them in on the joke?"

"Well-" Fives paused, "Huh, I suppose that might actually work,"

They trudged back to the corner that Wolffe's bunk was crammed into and hoped that Ahsoka was right. Comet was sitting above Wolffe, slowly scrolling through his datapad, while Wolffe was sound asleep below him. Comet's eyes narrowed as the two of them stepped closer.

"What are you guys up to, cause I want no part in it," Comet muttered.

"We just wanna replace Wolffe's armor with Fox's,"

"Oh, _oh_ , he'll be _pissed_ ," Comet chuckled but then got serious, "I didn't see anything, I wasn't here, I am _irrelevant_ ,"

"Got it, vod," Fives nodded, "Could you do us a favor and make sure he wakes up uh... _later_ than usual?"

"It would be my pleasure," Comet grinned.

Fives exchanged Wolffe's gray armor for that of Fox's, then went back to place Wolffe's beside Cody's bunk.

"Alright, the trap is set," Fives rubbed his hands together, eager to witness the chaos that would ensue.

"I should get back to the Temple, but let me know what happens," 

"Copy that, Commander,"

\--------------------------------------------

"Commander. _Commander_. Should get up now," Comet nudged his shoulder gently, awakening Wolffe from his slumber. 

"Wha-" Wolffe groaned, "What time is it?" 

"About 20 minutes past the time you usually wake up,"

" _WHAT?!_ " Wolffe shot up in bed.

"Slept through your alarm, Commander,"

"That's impossible, that's-" Wolffe's eyes slid to the red armor adorned with the Great Galactic Seal on the shoulder pad. Oh, he knew who did this, he _knew_ , " _Motherfu_ -"

\------------------------------------------

Fox snapped awake to the beeping of his alarm, the sounds of muffled voices and the kitting up of armor filling his ears. He took a peek at his chrono- _I'm late?? How!?_ Fox scrambled out of bed, swiftly reaching for his armor, not even realizing it wasn't his own until the bottom half of him was covered in the orange plastoid plates.

"What the...Why do I have Cody's armor?" He frantically searched around for his own, unable to find it.

"Commander, where are you?" The comm sitting below his bunk beeped with the voice of one of his brothers.

"I-" Fox groaned, debating how to explain his current situation, "I'll be there soon," he didn't have time to find Cody and sort out whatever the _hell_ was going on, so he begrudgingly finished kitting up. He tucked Cody's helmet under his arm and went to work.

\-----------------------------------------------

"Kriiiiiiiiiiiiiff," Cody moaned against his pillow, not wanting to get up and deal with the nonsense that General Kenobi and Skywalker were sure to be getting up to. He slowly pushed himself off the mattress, having to do a double-take at his chrono, "Ah, damn it, I'm late," Cody paused, "I'm _late_??!!" He ran his hands through his hair, groaning. He then noticed the gray armor out of the corner of his eye, "The hell kind of sick power play is this?" He picked up the gray helmet, turning it over in his hands, "Oh, kriff this, I've been through worse," 

\-------------------------------------------------

Wolffe received the most peculiar of glances as he stormed through the hallway on his way to the briefing room. The next mission was with Skywalker, and Wolffe prayed that Rex would keep his damn mouth shut. He ran around the corner, hitting the button on the control panel, the door sliding open to reveal, General Plo, Skywalker, Rex, and-

_Fives_

Wolffe glared at Fives, his eyes filled with a burning want to shove his face into the durasteel wall. 

"Commander, you're here," Plo acknowledged his presence, disregarding his unusual armor, "Let's get started," he motioned for him to come over to the holo table. 

"Nice paint job, Commander," Fives smirked from behind Skywalker's shoulder, where he was shielded from Wolffe's wrath. 

"Ah, it looks good on you, Wolffe," Plo looked him over. Wolffe's anger softened at that, for he was glad at least some good had come from this.

"What did you do?" Anakin looked over his shoulder at Fives.

"I didn't do anything, sir,"

Anakin turned back to the holo table, "I'll deal with you later,"

\--------------------------------------------

"Cody, why are you wearing Wolffe's armor?" Obi-Wan looked at his Commander, a glimpse of confusion plastered on his face. 

"I'm not quite sure myself, General," Cody sighed.

"I'm guessing it has something to do with the 501st?"

"I'm guessing so,"

\-------------------------------------------------

"Did it work?" Ahsoka asked eagerly through the comm.

"Hell yeah, it did. I saw Wolffe at the briefing; he was _fuming_. Got word that Cody and Fox all had different armor on, so I'm guessing it went smoothly on their side,"

"Aw, man, I wish could have seen Wolffe's face," Ahsoka giggled.

"Oh, we'll be seeing it for _at least_ another week, so you didn't miss out on much,"

"He attacked you yet?"

"Nope, but I'm guessing he's waiting for the three of them to get together to come yell at me or something along those lines. Maybe throw a punch or two,"

Ahsoka huffed, "Good luck with that, Fives,"

\-------------------------------------------------

"Wolffe, you copy?" Cody pressed his comm.

"Yeah, I copy,"

"Any ideas as to why I'm wearing your armor?" Cody slumped in his chair, scrolling through the various reports he had to fill out.

"Wait, _what?_ I thought Fox had my armor," 

"Why would Fox have your armor?"

"Cause I have his," Wolffe sounded so pent up and was probably only seconds away from imploding.

"Then who has mine?"

"Fox, I'm guessing," 

"Can you patch him in?"

"Yeah, give me a sec," some static passed through comm, but soon enough, Fox's voice could be heard.

"Fox here,"

"You wearing Cody's armor?" Wolffe asked him.

"Yeah. Any idea who's got mine?" 

"I do,"

"The question we should be asking is _who_ switched all our armor because I don't think it was any of us," Cody rubbed his temple.

"Oh, I know _exactly,_ who did it," Wolffe said harshly, "Fives and someone else I'm pretty sure. He's not smart enough to do all this on his own,"

"Where is he now?" Fox asked.

"Probably hiding from us," Cody admitted.

The sound of Fox's blaster being switched from kill to stun echoed in the comm, "Well, are we gonna go get him or no?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!


	53. Stories

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This one is kinda shit so I'm sorry so bear with me
> 
> requested by @vickyz17 and @WaterRose3
> 
> the clones learning about Anakin and Obi-Wan's past (basically the phantom menace)

"General?" Rex cleared his throat. 

"Mhm?" Anakin sipped his caf.

"I- we wanted to ask if uh..." his brothers had all elected him to be the one to ask the General, "How you became a slave. If you don't want to talk about it, sir, that's alright," Rex nervously watched Anakin as he put down his caf and thought about the question. Rex and his brothers had always been curious about his life before joining the Jedi Order.

"My mother was sold to the Hutt clan on Tattoine. It wasn't until I was nine years old that Qui-Gon came," Anakin poked at his food. Rex, Fives, Echo, and Jesse were among some of the men surrounding him, listening to him.

"How did you get off of Tattoine?" Fives said a little too eagerly.

" _Fives,_ " Rex hushed him.

"No, no, it's okay, I get that you're curious," Anakin looked up at them, "Are you sure you guys want to hear the story?" They all nodded excitedly, "The _whole_ story?" Their eyes lit up like the brightest burning star in the entire galaxy, "Qui-Gon Jinn, who was Obi-Wan's master, by the way, couldn't afford the part he needed to fix his ship. I told him that I would enter the Boonta Eve Podrace in Mos Espa, and he could bet on me to earn the money he needed,"

"Sir, you were a podracer?" Fives' eyes widened.

"Well, I only competed in a few races,"

"And you _won_?!" Jesse added.

"Only one of them. It won the money for the parts Qui-Gon required. He also bet Watto, the toydarian who... who owned me, that if I won, I would be free," Anakin paused, "So I left Tattoine and went to Coruscant," Anakin continued to tell them of how he was deemed too old by the Jedi council to be trained as a Jedi and how he ventured to Naboo with Obi-Wan. They were all so intrigued by the story he told them it made Anakin wonder if they had ever been told a good story in their life. 

"What are you all talking about? I sure hope it's not me," Obi-Wan walked passed the table Anakin was sitting at, an enormous crowd of clones around him.

"I was just telling them about how I blew up the Trade Federation control ship around Naboo when I was only nine," Anakin smirked, "We'd all love if you told _your_ side of the battle,"

"Anakin, I don't think-"

"Come on, Master! We all need a good story,"

"Oh, alright, if you insist," Obi-Wan rolled his eyes and pulled up a chair. He dove right in, delving into his memory of his encounter with Darth Maul. Obi-Wan told them of the way he appeared in the hallway, igniting his double-bladed saber and how he watched his Master fight him through the ray shields, "And then Maul... He killed my Master," the crowd grimaced at that, their awe and excitement faltering, "But then I cut him in half," all the clones erupted, laughing and smiling, "Although, he didn't die," Obi-Wan, yet again, ruined the mood. Everyone exchanged glances with each other, trying to see who would break first, and sooner or later, even Obi-Wan was laughing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ass ending, I'm sorry, but thanks for reading!


	54. The Voices

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So like I'm pretty sure it was confirmed that Ahsoka was dead by the time of Rise of Skywalker, but like fuck canon ya know

So much time had passed from the end of the Clone Wars to the rule of the First Order. So much so that it was becoming hard for Ahsoka to remember what life used to be like during the Republic. She had heard rumors of the Resistance pass through the small town she had resided to. Fortunately, she wasn't alone anymore. An old friend whom she thought she'd never see again had crossed paths with her a while back. Kix had told her the story of how he was captured by the Separatists at the end of the war and frozen in a stasis pod for 50 years until he was found by bounty hunters. They now sat across from one another, peacefully eating an early dinner.

"You make a mean nerf steak," Kix devoured his entire serving as if he hadn't eaten in weeks.

Ahsoka laughed, "Took years to perfect,"

"It's so weird waking up what felt like hours after the war, but it turned out to be 50 years. It feels like it all happened yesterday,"

It was then that Ahsoka felt a presence in the Force she hadn't felt for decades - Anakin Skywalker. Not just her old master, but others too. Yoda, Aayla, Obi-Wan: Jedi lost to time. And there was another: a living presence. Weak, yes, but living. Ahsoka did not know her name or who she was, but her mind fell into sync with the voices that spoke.

_These are your final steps, Rey; rise, and take them_

_Rey_

_Rey_

_Rey_

_Bring back the balance, Rey, as I did_

_In the night, find the light, Rey_

_You're not alone, Rey_

_Alone, never have you been_

_Every Jedi who has ever lived lives in you_

_The Force surrounds you, Rey_

_Let it guide you_

"As it guided us," her words were spoken both in the mind of Rey and in the room she sat in. Ahsoka's eyes fluttered open, focusing on a confused Kix in front of her. 

Kix dropped his fork and leaned back in his chair, " _What the fuck just happened??_ "

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	55. Toy Starships

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anakin likes to build toy starships
> 
> I promise I'll be getting to the requests, but I haven't had much time to write longer stuff or spend a lot of time thinking about how I want to write something cause of my chem class, so I've been writing shorter stuff, but I have not forgotten about them :)
> 
> Also thank you guys so much for over 8500 hits and 270 kudos!!!

"Pass me the wrench Artoo," Anakin outstretched his hand, the little astromech giving him what he requested, "It should be almost done," he tinkered with the wing of the mini Delta 7B that he held gently. He had a guilty pleasure of collecting Jedi starfighters or any kind of toy starship he could get his hands on. Ever since he was a child, he wanted to become a pilot, and even though he had become one of the best in the galaxy, he was still amazed by it, "Artoo, pass the-" a sharp knock sounded on Anakin's door. 

"Master, are you in there?" Ahsoka's muffled voice carried through the air.

"Uh, yeah, Snips, just give me a minute," Anakin frantically stood up, the tools on his lap clattering to the floor, and stumbled across his room, trying to find a place to hide the starship.

"Master, are you all right?"

"Yeah, yeah," Anakin turned around, still looking for a place to put it, and as he turned back around, he tripped over Artoo, groaning as he fell over the droid.

Ahsoka rushed through the door, worried about what the loud thump was, and almost laughed at the sight of her master sprawled out on the floor, Jedi starship in hand. Artoo beeped with excitement and rolled over to see her, and Ahsoka guessed he was the one responsible for her Master's fall. 

"What were you doing, Skyguy," she smirked.

"Nothing, Snips, just... feeling the floor,"

"Feeling the floor? You _really_ need to work on your excuses," she walked over to help him up, "Whatcha got there?" Her eyes flicked to the starship. 

"Nothing, just a..." Anakin cleared his throat, "Delta 7B aethersprite class light interceptor,"

"Still needs some work from what I can see," 

"Uh, yeah, it does," Anakin rubbed the back of his neck.

"Can I help you?" Ahsoka looked up at him with wide eyes, "Pleaaaaaaaase?" 

"Alright, Snips," Anakin laughed, "Pull up a chair," he resumed his position sitting on the edge of his bed. They continued working on the ship, passing tools around, and adding parts.

Both of their heads shot up when Obi-Wan spoke as he leaned against the doorway rubbing the bridge of his nose, "Oh, Anakin, don't tell me you've convinced another person to build toys with you,"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	56. With Hope

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Another short one today with Anakin and Padme :)

"Long day, huh, Ani," Padme watched as Anakin walked passed her into the apartment and nearly collapsed on the couch.

"You have no idea," 

"Oh, no, I'm pretty sure I do," Padme laughed, "Senators can be a lot to deal with sometimes," she moved to sit beside him, "Tell me about your day,"

Anakin paused before sitting up, then snaked an arm around Padme's shoulder, "I'm not sure I can take any more of Fives' and Ahsoka's horseplay, it's like they were twins separated at birth! I'm glad they get along, though. She has a way with the men that really keep them going,"

Padme smiled, admiring the way her husband talked about Ahsoka as if she was his little sister: always messing around and getting on his nerves, but he still loved her to death.

"How's Captain Rex dealing with these 'shenanigans'?" 

"Oh, he's not doing much better than I am. Has a bit of a knack for 'pretending like he doesn't see them' though. He's been a little on edge ever since we got back from the mission,"

"And why is that?" Padme quirked an eyebrow.

"Ahsoka and I may or may not have thrown him off of another cliff," Anakin huffed.

"He trusts you two more than you give him credit for, you know," 

"I know," the side of his mouth twitched up into a light smile, "There's not a finer Captain in the entire GAR, nor one that could tolerate the 501st," Anakin turned to Padme, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear, "Tell me about your day,"

"Same as usual, really. No new bills have made their way across the floor, but the tension is building about whether to escalate the war efforts or not. I'm afraid that instead of ending this war, we're only making it worse," Padme shook her head.

"With hope, this will all be over soon, my love,"

"Yes. With hope,"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!


	57. Our Fallen Brothers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I finally got to a request oml
> 
> Requested by @Gerstein03 
> 
> Fives after the "death" of Echo and the Citadel mission

_This is our only chance. We've got to stop him._

Fives was back in the neverending sequence of watching his best friend and closest brother die in front of him. It had been days since the Citadel, but he couldn't shake the nightmares that followed. He tried so hard to stay awake, but no matter how many cafs he drank, slumber would always catch him. There was no escape from the dreams either. He could feel his body planted on his cot, unable to move or wake himself, being forced to rewatch the moment over and over again until daybreak. And even during the day, he wasn't spared from the guilt. It was pure and constant torture twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. With every day that it went on, he found himself growing evermore angry with the fact that Echo was thrown aside just like every other brother that had died: forgotten like a stray piece of garbage on the streets of Coruscant. 

_You have a duty. You were made for two things, and two things only: to fight a war, and to die in it, so don't get pissed off when it actually happens_ , Fives reminded himself. He and his brothers were created for that sole purpose of being expendable, and Echo had fulfilled that purpose, _But we're not numbers, we're human! We have a heart and blood flowing through our veins, right? Sure. Just keep telling yourself that, Fives._

They never treated any of them like humans, let alone living beings. They were lab experiments, built for war and discarded by a single blaster bolt, never to be remembered again. He'd seen and heard of the funerals the Jedi gave to their own. In the heat of war, they found the time to take a moment, even a day for kriff sake, to honor their fallen. And what did the _clones_ get? A single wall filled with the _designations_ of those who died at the First Battle of Geonosis. A show of sympathy from the Republic for one of the hundreds of battles that raged across the galaxy. Of course, he was grateful for the wall, at least the Republic showed a _little_ compassion for clones, but his brothers deserved better. Echo deserved better. Fives so vividly remembered watching the Generals lower Master Piel into the lava flow as they all stood in a half-circle, _honoring_ the passed Jedi. He couldn't recall a single moment something like that took place to honor a clone. Sure, they'd done it between themselves when prying eyes weren't around to see, but the Jedi themselves had never done it on their own time. But now too many thoughts enveloped the spacious expanse of Fives' imagination, so he resorted to only dwelling on the one that wouldn't leave.

\-----------------------------------------

"How's he holding up?" Ahsoka folded her arms on the table as she watched Rex sip his caf.

"Not well, Littl'un. Hasn't cracked a joke in days, and it's really getting me worried," Rex sighed, "None of us have been able to get to him. He just pushes everyone away, and I have no idea what to do. We've all lost brothers, but... but this is different. There's more than just Echo on his mind," 

"Maybe I should try to talk to him,"

"I don't know if that's the best idea,"

"I can feel how pent up he is from here, and he needs to let it out if he's going to get past this,"

"I'm not sure he's _going_ to get past this," Rex glimpsed at her with clouded eyes.

"He will, Rex,"

\---------------------------------------

"Fives?" Ahsoka weaved her way through the lines of mostly empty bunks, many of the men off eating, sparring, or getting work done.

"What do you need, Commander?" Fives' muffled voice wafted through the air. 

"I don't need anything, Fives,"

"Then why, are you here?"

"I wanted to talk to you about..."

"There's nothing to talk about,"

"I know there is. You don't have to hide from me," Ahsoka eyed the empty bunk that Echo used to fill, then up at Fives who's stare was locked on the ceiling, his arms crossed neatly across his stomach, "I'm sorry-"

"Don't," Fives cut her off, "I've heard enough of those to fill a lifetime," Ahsoka sat on the bottom bunk, waiting to see if he was going to say anything else.

"Talk to me. I'm here to listen to you," minutes passed, every second spent in complete silence until Fives spoke.

"I miss them all so fucking much I-" he groaned, "Every single one of them," he paused, trying to form his thoughts into sentences, "And they were cast aside like _pawns_. Used up until they fulfilled their purpose, then forgotten,"

"We all have a purpose-"

"I know, I know, we're all _soldiers,_ and we fight and _die_ for the Republic, _I_ _know_. It's been ingrained in my head since they pulled me out of that kriffing growth pod on Kamino; I don't need any reminders,"

Ahsoka could tell he was getting closer and closer to snapping, which in this case was something he needed. He needed to let his emotions flow in order to understand them. He needed all his pent up rage and anger to be let loose.

"Yet, nothing, _nothing_ , is done for them. No respect for fighting _their_ war for a Republic we've never even _lived_ in, no thanks for being the reason they haven't lost this pointless war yet-"

"And who are they?"

"The Republic, the Senate, the Jedi, _all of it!_ "

There it was. Fives' eyes widened as he realized what came out of his mouth.

" _Shit_ , I didn't mean that I-"

"Yes, you did. And I don't blame you for thinking it," Ahsoka stood and began to climb the ladder up to the top bunk.

"You-you don't?"

"No. I think you're right. We don't give you enough credit - we don't give you enough _anything_ for what you do for the Republic. I have no idea what it feels like to be you or your brothers, but I know that the way people treat you as if they are better than you is not right. I know you were mad about taking the time to honor Master Piel after his death and not getting something similar for Echo. I could sense it. I know you won't like me saying this, but..."

"You don't have to say it, I know," they let the unspoken thought float between them as they sat shoulder to shoulder on the top bunk, their feet dangling across the edge, "And Echo," Fives' voice got so small Ahsoka thought his air supply had been cut off, "It shouldn't have been him. I could've stopped him if I tried I-"

"No. It shouldn't have been you, or Echo, or anyone, and you can't blame yourself for what _he_ chose to do. He made his choice, Fives," Ahsoka watched the tears starting to form at the corner of his eyes.

"I didn't even take his kriffing helmet," Fives leaned over, bracing his elbows on his knees and running his palms over his face, while Ahsoka rubbed his back lightly, not quite sure what to say, "Can-can I have a hug, please," Fives sniffled.

"Of course," Ahsoka smiled and shifted to surround him in her embrace. She tucked her arm around his back, and the other went to cup his nape, bringing his head to rest on the crook of her neck. Fives' arms wound around her upper back, squeezing her close as if afraid she was going to slip away, "Let it out, Fives, let it all out," Ahsoka carefully massaged a hand over the back of his head, combing through his hair as the sound of his crying echoed in her montral. Neither knew how long they sat there, nor how Ahsoka wound up being crushed beneath Fives' weight as he rested his head on her stomach, the rest of his body lying between her legs. Ahsoka knew how much the clones craved physical touch, and she knew how little Fives had slept since they got back from the Citadel. She gently raked her sienna hands through his stark black hair as he quietly snored against her stomach, eyes slipping closed.

"How's he-" Rex was abruptly cut off.

"Shhhh," Ahsoka pointed at the dozing Fives, draped over her like a blanket, "Don't wake him," she whispered.

"Sorry, sorry, I'll leave," Rex smiled at the sight of his little brother, clutching onto Ahsoka like it was his lifeline, then left the barracks to resume his work.

Fives was leery about falling asleep, for he hated to admit that he was scared of being bombarded by the scene that he knew would come to him, but he couldn't resist being forced to relax by Ahsoka's soft hands against his head and neck. He felt like he hadn't slept in ages and completely gave in to the feeling of her comfort. For the few hours he slept, he was not chased by the horror that followed him everywhere he went but was met with the sweet haze of serenity.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!


	58. Word Gets Around

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Another request has been checked off the list! 
> 
> Requested by @vickyz17 
> 
> The boys talk about Bariss Offee 
> 
> Not super in-depth and kinda short but I think it gets the point across

"So, do you want the good news or the bad news first?" Fives leaned on his side, peering down at his Captain.

"Bad news?" Rex looked up from his datapad.

"Glad you chose that because there is no good news,"

"Then why didn't you just say so?" Echo's voice sounded from below his cot.

"If I said, 'do you want to hear the bad news', no one would want to hear it," Fives shrugged.

"You're such a di'kut," Echo shook his head.

"Do you mind getting to the point?" Rex rolled his eyes.

"Oh, yeah. Well, I was talking to Fox the other day and uh... and he told me who _actually_ bombed the Jedi Temple," Fives knew he had ruined the mood with that one sentence and he knew he would pay for it later. Probably in the form of being used as a punching bag. 

"And how does Fox know?" Rex said through gritted teeth.

"The man commands the Coruscant Guard, so he kinda knows everything. One of the men at the trial told someone else, and then _he_ told someone _else_ until it got up to Fox,"

"Who was it?" Jesse peeped from the other side of Fives and Echo's bunk. 

"A Jedi named Bariss Offee. Apparently, she confessed to all of it, even setting the Commander up,"

"Why would any Jedi blow up their own temple? It doesn't make any sense," Jesse said.

"And why blame the Commander? What did she ever do to anyone?" Echo whispered.

"I'm not sure, boys, but it's what Fox told me,"

"I just wish she'd come back. She didn't deserve any of this," Echo's short comment took a blow in everyone's heart, their minds reminiscing on the still-fresh fact that Ahsoka was gone.

"Maybe we'll see her again, vod," Rex stood up, setting his datapad on his cot, "But for now, get some rest," he put a hand on Echo's shoulder and gently pushed him down to the mattress, "And you," he pointed Fives, "Go the hell to sleep, so you don't think of something stupid to do," 

"Wouldn't dream of it, Cap,"

"Except that you would," Rex put his whole hand over Fives' face and shoved it back against his pillow. He went around the barracks, tucking his men into bed, telling them they need the sleep and wondered to himself if he maybe, just maybe, they might get to see her again.


	59. 501st Fail Army

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Another request from @vickyz17 
> 
> I don't know if you guys have seen Fail Army but it's basically just a bunch of videos of funny fails or pranks so it's that but with the 501st hehehe
> 
> Just 4 quick little stories inspired by Fail Army

"Do it, vod, go, go, go," Jesse hyped up Fives as he prepared to do something absolutely stupid. Jesse had dared him that he wouldn't try and dive through the opening between the top and bottom bunk, and being Fives, he was going to do it whether Jesse bet him or not. 

"Ok, ok, 1, 2, 3!" Fives jogged from one side of the barracks, building up speed before a launched himself at the bunk bed. Being the di'kut that he is, he miscalculated how low he needed to go in order to fit between the two beds. Before he knew it, his forehead slammed into the durasteel frame of the top bunk, his momentum coming to a full stop as he collapsed on the floor.

" _Shit, shit, kriff_ ," Jesse rushed over to hold Fives up before he fell to the ground, "Fives, are you ok?"

"Do you think I'm ok, di'kut? I just slammed my head into a durasteel frame," Fives said through gritted teeth as he clutched his forehead. 

Jesse turned around and called out, "KIIIIIIIIIX,"

\-------------------------------------------------------

"You recording?" Hardcase quirked an eyebrow.

"Ya, ya, it's recording now go," Fives told him. Hardcase mentioned to Fives he could do a backflip, so Fives told him to do it right now if he was so cocky about it. 

"Alright, ready?"

"I've been ready, now _go_ ," Fives urged him.

"Ok, ok," Hardcase bent his knees, preparing to jump into the air, then leaped, leaning backward, trying to pull his body around. As Fives predicted, he actually couldn't do a backflip, and instead, he landed on the back of his shoulder, his head bending weirdly. 

"I knew you couldn't do it," Fives shook his head.

"Hey, Fives," Rex grabbed his attention, "Watch this," he threw his helmet to the side and pulled off the most graceful backflip Fives had ever seen in his life. 

Hardcase and Fives were silent for a moment until they both exploded, "OHHHHHHHHHHH,"

\----------------------------------------------

"Ready, set, go!" Echo called to the two of them. Rex and Fives immediately took off down the hallway, sprinting towards the finish line. They'd finally convinced the Captain to participate in a race on their way back from a mission. Rex was already gaining a bit of a lead over Fives as they sprinted down the hallway, and soon enough, the gap between the two was even wider. 

"How the hell are you so _fast_?" Fives groaned.

"I'm not, you're just slow!" Rex laughed. He was almost near the finish line, where Jesse stood with his hand outstretched on either side for the two of them to slap his palm. Rex reached Jesse first, smacking his left palm, declaring himself the winner. Just as Fives was nearing them, a door suddenly hissed shut in front of him. Not having enough power or knowledge to slow himself down, Fives crashed into the door full force. 

All Rex and Jesse heard from the other side was a loud thump and groan as Fives hit the door head-on. 

Rex dusted his hands off, "Well, I hope that at least knocked some sense into him,"

\---------------------------------------------

"Where the hell did you get this shampoo?!" Echo continued to wash the bubbles out of his hair, trying to get all of them out.

"It's just regulation, nothing special," Fives giggled as he proceeded to squeeze more shampoo onto Echo's head.

"It's not coming out," Echo furiously scrubbed at his hair, perplexed as to why he couldn't get rid of it, while Fives and Jesse snickered behind him, " _Whyyyyyyyyy is this happening???_ "

"Don't know, vod, it's kinda weird," Fives grinned.

" _AHHHHHHHHHH_ ,"


	60. Hide and Seek

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just a little hide and seek :)

The 501st was back at it. Another successful mission and another ride back to Coruscant meaning games would ensue. This time, it was a good old-fashioned game of hide-and-seek throughout the _entire_ ship. The rules of the game were simple: you can hide pretty much anywhere, except the ventilation shafts and as long as it didn't interrupt anyone else's work, and there were ten seekers instead of one, who were randomly selected by a datapad with all of their names entered into it. When a Jedi played, they were only allowed to hide because of their weird Force-sensing powers. It was still almost impossible to find them because they could sense when someone was approaching and move, but neither Ahsoka, Anakin, _or_ Obi-Wan had won a game yet. The reigning champ since last time was Fives, for the man, as stupid as he was, could always find the best spots. 

This round's seekers were a couple of shinies, Echo, and Jesse. The game started in the barracks, and all the hiders were given fifteen minutes to hide.

"Alright. Ready?" Jesse looked at the group of gathered participants, "Go!" He hit the timer on the datapad, and they all scattered in different directions.

"You got a good hiding spot, Rexster?" Ahsoka followed him out of the nearest door and into the hall. 

"Yes, in fact, I do, but I'm not telling you," Rex didn't even _have_ a spot, but, hopefully, he would think of something within fifteen minutes.

"No matter, I have one of my own," Ahsoka smirked, "Good luck!" She sprinted off in the other direction, leaving Rex to fend for himself. His first thought was to go to the main hangar, but almost everyone goes there. _Storage closet it is_ , he decided. He rounded a couple of corners, trying to get as far away from the barracks as he could, until he found a small, out of the way closet. Rex checked both sides of the hallway to make sure no one was there to see him slip inside. He quickly pressed the button on the panel, and the door slid open. He swiftly shut it behind him when he was inside. The room was filled with a couple of boxes and shelves with various datapads and tech parts. Rex found himself a secluded corner behind a pile of boxes and sat down, ready to wait it out.

\-------------------------------------------------------

Ahsoka followed the flow of clones to the main hangar, where she soon departed from the pack and found her way to the back. She crept into an empty gunship, seeing precisely what she had wanted: empty supply crates. She moved the top of the crate off and slipped inside, folding her legs to her chest, then tucking the lid back on top. Her eyes quickly adjusted to the darkness, and she trained her senses to check if anyone was nearby. Determining the area all clear, Ahsoka settled in and waited.

After a good forty minutes, she heard footsteps closing in on her. She decided to carefully glide the top of the crate off and hop out. 

"I think somebody's in here," Jesse's voice sounded from outside of the gunship. Ahsoka discreetly shuffled out of the ship as Jesse and a few others circled to the other side. She pressed herself up against the gunship wall, not having noticed the immense amount of seekers that were searching the place up and down. 

"Hey, Jesse! I think the Commander's on the other side!" A shiny called from the middle of the hangar. Ahsoka's eyes widened, and she turned around to come face-to-face with Jesse.

"Gotcha, Commander," he smirked.

"How well did I do, at least?" Ahsoka huffed.

"Better than most," 

"You found Fives yet?"

"Nope," 

"Kriff. I was really hoping to beat him this time," Ahsoka walked with him to the middle of the hangar as she saw a certain blue pauldroned Captain trudge towards her, "You got caught too, huh?"

"Yeah," Rex sounded mildly pissed, "Fives?" Ahsoka shook her head.

"Everyone's been caught except for him," Jesse pipped up, "We should head back to the barracks to regroup,"

\------------------------------------

"Still nothing?" Rex and the others were gathered back in the barracks; no one being able to find the sneaky ARC.

"No, I-" Jesse was abruptly cut off by Ahsoka.

"Everyone be quiet. I think I hear him," Ahsoka parted through them, trying to train her more sensitive hearing to what was hopefully Fives. 

"He's in _here_?" Kix exclaimed.

"I think so, now shush," Ahsoka walked slowly around the barracks like a predator hunting her prey until she wandered upon a random bunk. She cocked her head, wondering why her hearing led her here. She reached for the small storage box that sat next to every bed and pulled the top up to reveal a snoring Fives. He had crammed himself into the box, only to fall asleep as the game went on. 

"What a di'kut," Jesse shook as head as he leaned over Ahsoka's shoulder to peer into the box. 

"I mean he technically won," Rex didn't sound too pleased with the sentence that came out of his mouth.

Echo laughed, "Doesn't mean we have to tell him,"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	61. The View From Above

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some more Fives and Ahsoka because I just love them so much :)
> 
> I'm pretty sure we're gonna hit 10,000 hits today so I just wanted to say a big thanks to all the people who comment and left the 329 kudos cause they really keep me going :)

"Where do you wanna go tonight, kid?" Fives looked at Ahsoka as they wandered the streets of Coruscant. It was another adventure for the two of them, a distraction from the war that helped them to forget it just for the night. 

"You pick this time," Ahsoka's head was tilted to watch the speeders and ships fly past above them. 

Fives smirked as he followed her gaze, "I know a good place, but I'll need your help getting up there,"

"You mean you'll need the Force's help?" She quirked an eyebrow.

Fives laughed, "Yeah, you could put it that way,"

"Where is it?" 

"Just a little further up," he led her to the base of one of the towering buildings that peppered Coruscant's surface. 

"Are we allowed here?" Ahsoka whispered to Fives, watching him begin to climb the small set of stairs that zig-zagged up the side of the building.

"Probably not. You gotta trust me though; the view will be amazing," 

Ahsoka followed in Fives' footsteps, jogging up the stairs to catch up with him. As they neared the top, the stairs suddenly stopped, leaving a wide gap between where they stood and the roof.

"This is where you come in handy," Fives gestured to the absence of stairs.

"Ok, you ready?" She widened her stance, ready to Force-throw Fives up to the roof.

"Just don't drop me, please,"

"Yeah, yeah, enough stalling, up you go!" Ahsoka launched him up, watching his legs flailing in the air, trying to find solid ground. She heard a thump and a grunt as he landed on the durasteel surface, then soon after his face poking over the side, giving her a thumbs-up, "Stand back!" She called to him, preparing to jump up herself. 

"I wish I could do that," Fives huffed as he watched Ahsoka land gracefully beside him.

"Maybe I'll teach you sometime," she giggled. The view from where they were was absolutely stunning. Below them flew the many speeders and smaller ships, and above a few venators took off to wherever the war called them. Ahsoka let loose her toothy grin and relished in the cleaner air, sucking it in through her nose. The two leaned against the durasteel railing and watched speeders go by in the distance. 

"I wish I could be free like this all the time," Fives murmured under his breath, "Just watch everything go by like I don't have a care in the world," 

"Maybe it will be like that someday,"

"I can only hope,"

"Well, for now, we are free, Fives," Ahsoka slid an arm around his waist as he wrapped an arm over her shoulders. 

"Yeah," Fives smiled, "We are free,"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you guys so much for reading!


	62. Together Again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A little AU where Fives was alive to go rescue Echo from Skako Minor :)

"Tech, open that door for Rex and Fives," Anakin pressed himself against the wall, taking cover from the incoming fire.

"Yes, sir!" Tech responded, rushing over to work on the lock.

"I hope you find what you're looking for," Hunter said to both Rex and Fives as they too made their way to the door.

The previous day had been pure _hell_ for Fives after finding out that his long thought-to-be-dead brother could be alive. He had always regretted not doing anything to stop Echo from going after the shuttle during the Citadel mission, but now perhaps he had a chance to save him. His heart pumped so viciously under his armor he was afraid it might just explode out of his chest. Nothing could prepare him for whatever sight he was about to see, whether it was Echo or something else.

Fives and Rex stood guard at the door as Tech worked to open it, slipping inside the first panel once it was opened. The second set of doors unlocked with a hiss, Fives, and Rex surveying the room with caution, blasters at the ready. All along the floor ran thick cables and orbs glowing with a bright yellow light, leading to a semi-circle control panel in the back of the room.

"What the hell _is_ all this?" Fives' eyes were held agape by the gray coffin the sat perched on the wall in front of him. 

"I'm not sure, but I don't like the look of it," Tech murmured. He tinkered with the levers and buttons on the control panel as Fives anxiously tapped his fingers on his thigh, "I'm definitely picking up a life form in there. It seems to be a stasis chamber. I think I can get it open,"

Fives shared a worried glance with Rex as they stood in front of the pod, waiting to see who or _what_ would come out. The doors slowly opened, cold air pouring out of the chamber as a limp body, coated in frost, hung by cords above their faces.

" _What the fuck_ ," Fives looked at the thin, frail, body of his brother in horror, "I'm gonna be sick," He stood motionless, gazing into Echo's twitching eyes as Rex climbed up to pull him out of the stasis pod. 

"Tech. We gotta get him out of here. Figure out how do unplug him from-from this mess," Rex laid Echo up against the control panel, "What did they do to you?" Rex shook his head as Fives immediately removed his helmet and crouched beside Echo, searching his face for any sign of the man he hoped was still in there.

"We-we have to get to the shuttle to escape the Citadel. No! I'll go first," Echo's words took Fives right back to the day of the Citadel.

"Echo," Fives had a hand on the back of Echo's head, the smooth hair now replaced by the rigid outlines of bolts, drilled into his skull.

"No! No, no," 

" _Echo_ , it's Fives. It's Fives, I'm here, vod,"

"Fives? You-you came back for me?" Echo's eyes finally met his, the familiar brown orbs giving Fives the tiniest bit of reassurance that his brother was still in there.

"Yes, vod, I did," Fives grimaced, knowing that he _didn't_ come back for Echo during the Citadel. He left him in the hands of the Separatists'. He left him to become an asset for their experiments. 

"What-what happened? Where am I?" Echo took a glance at the room around them, his gaze shifting back to Fives.

"It's okay, vod, you're safe now," Fives clasped his hand in Echo's, showing him that he was here and that he was _alive_ , "We're gonna go home," he wiped a flake of frost off of the side of his face.

"Home..."

"Yeah, we're gonna go home,"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!


	63. The Spoils of War (Or Quite the Opposite)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Little bit of soft Wolffe right here after Order 66 and the three of them are all chillin' on the AT-TE
> 
> Took a little spin on the request from @vickyz17 about the three of them talking about Order 66 so I hope you don't mind :)
> 
> To the other people who have requested stuff, I've not forgotten about you I simply don't have good plot-lines/ideas for them yet but I'm working on it :)

"Wolffe," Rex gently knocked on the door to his quarters. After hearing no response, Rex pressed the button on the control panel, but the door didn't budge: it was locked from the inside, "Wolffe, come on, open up," Rex tapped his foot impatiently.

"Just leave me alone, Rex," Wolffe murmured.

"I'm not gonna do that, vod. Talk to me. What's on your mind?" 

"You know _damn well_ what's on my mind," Wolffe spit at him, "I can't get it out of my _fucking_ head,"

It had been weeks since Rex had found Wolffe and removed his chip, but the damage that was done to the Commander was far beyond repair. It haunted him more than it did Rex and Gregor, although neither of them was sure why for Wolffe never opened up about it. His brother's head was all twisted and bent, forced into submission, then brought back out after so long. It reminded Rex of his time spent in the mines on Kadavo. It reminded him of how he watched the great Obi-Wan Kenobi kneel before a slave master; his ego and confidence stripped bare. He saw the same thing happening to Wolffe.

"Wolffe, I can't help you if you don't let me. _Please_ , let me help you, vod," Rex pleaded. After a few moments, he heard Wolffe shuffle towards the door and the quiet click of it unlocking. Rex hit the button once more, this time the door sliding open to reveal Wolffe sitting on his bunk, back facing Rex. 

"It won't go away," Wolffe's voice was barely a whisper under the soft hum of the AT-TE. 

"I know," Rex took a seat beside him, moving a hand up and down his back in smooth strokes as both Wolffe's good eye and cybernetic one leaked slow-falling tears, "It's over now, though. There's no more war, no more fighting. We're free now, okay? Look at me," Rex moved his free hand to the nape of Wolffe's neck and turned it towards him, "We're free," 

"Free,"

"Yes, free," Rex pressed his forehead against Wolffe's: a keldabe kiss, a sign of comfort and sympathy his brothers used so often to express their love for one another. He couldn't help but sigh as he relished in the fact that he still had a few of his brothers left. Rex knew there was no way Wolffe would be able to fully get over the torture that plagued him, but he would try to help improve it none the less. The old AT-TE and his two brothers were all Rex had now, and it was his duty to protect them. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	64. Switcheroo Pt. 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A part two where Cody, Fox, and Wolffe, get Fives back after he switched their armor around requested by @SW_7504 
> 
> Took me a little while to come up with something for this, but I hope you all like it :)

"Well, are we gonna go get him or no?" Fox's cocky smirk could practically be heard through the line. 

"I'll get the duct tape," Wolffe said firmly, his plan already swirling around in his head, "Oh and somebody ask Rex to find Fives for us,"

"On it," Cody grabbed his helmet and stormed out the door to Rex's quarters.

"Anyone want to remember the fact that we're wearing each other's armor?" Fox reminded them.

"We can worry about that later," Cody hated to admit that he rather liked Wolffe's gray armor, but there was nothing more comforting than his own. Besides, he wasn't a fan of kamas. He didn't like the way they hit the back of his thighs every time he took a step, and frankly, he didn't need his troops _constantly_ calling it a skirt like they did Wolffe and Rex. 

Cody had no idea what Wolffe was planning, but he was sure it would good. He'd been dealing with Fives' shit since day one and, the death trap that was his mind was sure to come up with creative ways to counter it. Cody approached Rex's room, giving the door a gentle knock.

"Come in," Rex's groggy voice sounded from inside.

"How's your day been, Captain," Cody waltzed in, setting Wolffe's helmet on the desk Rex was currently hunched over.

"What does it look like, vod?" Rex huffed, "What do you need?" 

"The location of a certain ARC," Cody leaned against the side of the desk.

"I'm afraid you're out of luck coming to me, I gave up on babysitting him a long time ago. Might be in the kitchen trying to see if you baked anything, but I'm not sure," Rex finally looked up from his datapad and let out a little giggle at Cody's gray armor, "Echo might know where he is though, probably has a tracker on him or something,"

"Alright, thanks, vod," Cody patted Rex on the head and scooped up his helmet.

"Tell Wolffe not to kill him; he _is_ one of my best men,"

"You know damn well there are no promises when it comes to Wolffe,"

"Yeah, yeah, just try to keep him in one piece, will you?"

"I'll try," Cody hit the control panel, and the door slid shut, leaving Rex to his work.

"Cody, did you find him?" Wolffe said through his comm.

"Not yet, Rex had nothing. I'll walk around a little, see what I can find," Cody closed off the comm. He wasn't quite sure where to find Echo either, so he decided to swing by the main hangar. He poked his head through a small side door, scouring the place for any sign of Fives or Echo until his eyes found just what he was looking for, "Fives is in the main hangar,"

"You got a visual?" Wolffe asked.

"Affirmative," 

"Stay put and _don't_ let him out of your sight. Fox and I'll be there in a minute,"

"Copy that, I'm at door 37," Cody slid back behind the door.

"Be right there,"

\-----------------------------------------------------

"Where is he?" Fox nodded to the door.

"Just on the other side of the hangar," Cody pointed a finger to where Fives' blue-tinted armor stood out.

"Can we switch armor before we do this," Wolffe hissed, "Please," the three of them shared a moment of eye contact, then immediately began kitting down in the side of the hallway, exchanging pieces of armor as they went.

"Happy now?" Cody adjusted the antennae on his left shoulder.

"Is he ever happy?" Fox snorted, earning him a slap on the chest from Wolffe.

"What's your plan?" Cody watched as Wolffe's face spread into a devious grin.

"You'll see. We just need to get him into a closet for now," Wolffe slipped through the door and into the hangar, Cody and Fox in tow. Wolffe motioned for Cody to go left and Fox to the right, saving the middle for himself. He crept along the side of a gunship until there was nothing else for him to hide behind, then watched as Fives' eyes widened when he approached.

"Uh, hey, Wolffe, I see you got your armor back," Fives walked backward slowly, not realizing the trap Wolffe was pushing him into. Cody and Fox had circled behind them, awaiting the right time to pounce. When Fives finally gave in and tried to run behind a set of supply crates, he was met with the stern face of Cody and then Fox's when he turned around to run the other way, "Hey, guys, um, look I have to get back-" Fives yelped as Cody and Fox dragged him by the arms out into the hallway, Wolffe leading the way.

"In here," Wolffe hit the button on the control panel, the supply door sliding open with a hiss. Fives knew better than to struggle against the two commanders, knowing it would only make it worse for himself. Wolffe pulled up a chair to lean against the wall and motioned for the other two to put Fives on it.

"Hey, now, wha-what's going on?" Fives asked, nervously, as he was perched on the chair.

"Oh, shut up for once," Cody groaned.

"Make me-" Fives gasped as Wolffe shoved a piece of duct tape over his mouth. 

"Tape him up real good, boys," Wolffe chuckled as he handed out a roll to the other two. Cody and Fox held him to the wall as they continued to wrap the tape around his legs and torso. Fives wasn't sure how much time passed, but when they were done, they stepped back to admire their work.

"Think that's enough?" Fox gazed at the image of Fives: a complete di'kut who was taped to the wall from neck to toe and plastered with a look of simmering rage.

"Should hold for a few hours, hopefully, the rest of the night," Wolffe moved to remove the chair from beneath Fives' feet and smirked at the muffled speech from his duct-taped mouth, "Night, Fives," Wolffe waved him goodbye as the three of them left the storage closet, shutting off the lights to leave him in complete darkness.

\----------------------------------------------------------

"Fives?!" Ahsoka's voice woke him from his standing slumber.

"Mmmmff," he tried and failed to speak coherently. He watched as the door opened and Ahsoka quickly walked in, prying the duct tape from his face, "Thanks," Fives sucked in a deep breath and stretched his cheek muscles.

"I see they got you back?" Ahsoka began ripping pieces of tape off of his body.

"Yeah, you can say that. It was worth it, though," Fives flashed his perfect smile, "Might wanna move over, I think I'm gonna-" Fives screeched as the rest of the tape let loose, letting him fall to the ground.

"You ok?" Ahsoka scrunched her brow.

Fives gave her a thumbs up, "Never better, kid,"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, my friends, thank you for reading!


	65. Brothers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Short little fic of Cody and Rex and I feel like Rex would sometimes come into Cody's room and ask to sleep with him as children do with their parents cause my boy just needs some comfort
> 
> Working on a request from a little while ago with Quinlan and Fives so hopefully, I'll have that out tomorrow :)
> 
> Edit: changed ad'ika to vod'ika cause @Reader12OG told me that was the word for little brother, so thank you :)

"Cody?" Rex knocked on the Marshal Commander's door; his body wrapped tightly in the gray blanket from his bed. He could hear Cody stir from the cot in his quarters. Rex usually tried not to bother him at this hour of the night, but he just needed him right now. Cody usually slept in his bunk in the barracks, like most higher-ranking clones, but sometimes he was too tired to make the journey all the way there and just collapsed in his office. 

"What is it, Rex?" Cody murmured, his voice laced with sleep. 

"Can-can I just come in, please?" Rex stammered.

"Yeah, vod, of course," Cody knew as much as any other clone that the feat of war got to everyone every so often, and it was hard to handle it alone. Whether it was that Rex was having trouble with, or something else, Cody didn't care, he just knew from the urgency in Rex's voice that he wanted help.

"Sorry to bother you-"

"It's ok, I get it," Cody stumbled out of bed and wrapped Rex in his arms, pressing him against his chest. Rex, in turn, wound his arms around Cody's ribs, gripping his brother tightly, "I got you, vod'ika, I got you," he raked his hand through Rex's close-cropped hair as Rex only held him tighter. 

"Can-can I sleep with you tonight?" Rex pulled away, eyes swollen and puffy.

"Yeah, ok," Cody exhaled a deep breath and trudged to the bed, which seemed so far, and groaned as his sore muscles hit the too-thin mattress, "C'mon, vod'ika," he shifted, making room for Rex.

"Thanks," Rex slid in beside him, curling into the warmth of Cody's chest and soon dozed off, the Commander not far behind him. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, thank you for reading!


	66. A Mission With Vos

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A request from @GraceEliz for some Fives and Quinlan being a headache together
> 
> Definitely not my best work, but hopefully you guys like it :)

"We got assigned on a mission with _Vos??_ " Obi-Wan face-palmed, " _Again?!_ " 

"I'm afraid so, sir," Cody responded glumly, "General Skywalker's coming as well,"

Obi-Wan groaned, "This is going to be a long day, Cody,"

"Indeed, it is, General," Cody trailed a few feet behind Obi-Wan as they made their way to the briefing room. Anakin had already arrived, his body arched over the holomap of their base, Rex and Fives standing beside him.

"Good to see you, Anakin," Obi-Wan sighed as he took a spot across from him at the holo table.

"Likewise, Master," Anakin acknowledged him, "Commander," Cody gave him a curt nod, his line of vision trailing over to Rex's helmetless face, giving him a small smirk. 

"Where's Vos, if I may ask?" Obi-Wan rolled his eyes.

"Should be on his way. Heard he's eager to see you," Anakin chuckled.

"Can't say the feeling is mutual," 

"What's not mutual, Master Kenobi?" At that moment, Quinlan Vos waltzed into the room, bringing an aura of pure foolishness that drove Obi-Wan utterly insane.

"Here we go," Cody muttered under his breath.

"Commander, it's good to see you," he nodded to Cody, then turned to Anakin, "Skywalker, Rex," he went down around the table till his eyes landed on Fives, "Can't say I've met you before,"

"Name's Fives, sir," he said. 

"Great, now that we've all met, can we get to the mission?" Obi-Wan asked impatiently.

"Yes, of course, Kenobi, go on," Vos laughed and gestured to the holo table. 

"Alright. Our goal is to capture this outpost," Obi-Wan pointed to a small tower on the far side of the map, "We're to take as few men as possible, meaning it's just the six of us. Our attack must be swift and clean if we are to take it. No horseplay," his eyes immediately shot to Vos, while Rex's turned to Fives, "Understood?" 

Vos gave him a salute and made way to the door, "Yes, sir,"

\-------------------------------------------------

"Did you know that-"

" _Shut up, Fives_. We're on a kriffing mission. You're starting to sound like Hardcase," Rex hissed.

"Sorry, sorry, I'm just _excited_ ," Fives whispered. 

"You'll be the reason we'll get _ambushed_ for kriff sake," Cody mumbled.

"If it's anyone who's getting us ambushed, it's _you,_ Commander. Every step you take sounds like a _tank_. If you step on a stick, it's over for us," Fives deadpanned. 

"He has a point, Commander," Vos laughed, "You are a bit loud,"

" _Thank you_ , General," Fives gave him a thumbs up.

"We're coming up on the outpost, stay sharp," Anakin warned them as they approached the end of the treeline, "Obi-Wan, you and Cody take the left, Rex, and I will take the right. Master Vos and Fives, circle around the back, we'll draw out their fire while you sneak in," the six of them nodded and parted ways.

\----------------------------------------------------

"Generals Kenobi and Skywalker aren't too fond of you, huh," Fives chuckled as they wandered through the dense forest to the other side of the outpost.

"I don't get why they dislike you so much, I mean you seem likable to me," Fives shrugged. 

"Well, one time when we were younglings, I'd cut little holes in his robes, so perhaps that's why he hates me,"

" _You cut holes in his robes?_ That's golden. Wish I'd thought of that when I was back on Kamino. Although, one time I did switch around Cody, Fox, and Wolffe's armor,"

" _No way_ ," 

"Yes, way,"

"Got taped to a wall overnight, but it was worth it," the two continued talking and sharing stories of how Vos tormented Obi-Wan and Fives pulled pranks on his commanding officers. 

"Vos, Fives, are you in position?" Anakin sounded from their comms. Having lost track of time, they were nowhere _near_ the back entrance of the tower, but Anakin didn't need to know that.

"We're in position, General," Fives winced at his lie, making eye contact with Vos, and the two of them immediately started sprinting through the trees.

"Obi-Wan, get ready for my signal," Anakin said.

"Copy that," he responded, "You better not mess this up, Vos,"

"No promises, Kenobi," Vos smirked as he and Fives came upon the back door of the outpost, both of them out of breath. From their position in the trees, they began to hear shooting and the metallic thumps of droids hitting the ground. Vos looked out from behind the tree, glancing at the door, "It's clear, let's go," he and Fives made their move to the door, Vos slowly cutting the thick durasteel with his lightsaber while Fives stood guard.

"Could you go any faster? I've seen Commander Tano cut through doors in like three seconds,"

" _Sorry_ , I guess it just comes naturally to _other_ Jedi," Vos grunted as he pushed the oval-shaped piece of durasteel out of the way, "Come on," the outpost was filled with a small number of droids, nothing a Jedi and ARC couldn't handle. They worked their way up the tower, destroying droids as they went like they'd been fighting side by side together for years. They entered the last room at the top of the tower, Vos slicing off the head of the tactical droid with a clean swipe, "Kenobi, the outpost is secure," 

"Good work you two," Obi-Wan responded, "We finished up out here, all we need to do is wait for a few squads to arrive and occupy the tower, so it doesn't fall back into Separatist hands. We're making good progress on our way to capture the Capitol,"

\-------------------------------------------------------

A few squads of clones began to show up with the hour, bringing a few tanks along with them. 

"It was fun working with you, Fives," Vos clapped him over the back.

"Likewise, General," Fives flashed his perfect grin.

"Well, I'm glad at least _someone_ gets along with you, Vos," Obi-Wan crossed his arms.

"Very funny, Kenobi,"

Obi-Wan and Anakin shared a look, "We best get back to base,"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	67. The Locked Door

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wolffe is a softie on the inside I don't make the rules
> 
> A request for some Wolffe and Fives shenanigans from @Spider_Man_Mando and I'll be working on your other one soon as well :)

"Get over here, _now_ ," Wolffe hollered down the hallway at none other than Fives. Maker knew what he did this time.

"You'll have to catch me first!" Fives squealed as he barrelled down the halls of The Resolute. He clutched his helmet tight as he turned the corner, almost running into his Captain.

" _Fives_ ," Rex didn't know if he wanted to scold him for running in the halls, but after he saw Wolffe chase after him, he decided it wasn't worth the trouble.

"Sorry, Cap!" Fives continued his strenuous pace through the hall, creating a large gap between him and Wolffe. Trying to throw him off his trail, Fives slipped into a nearby supply closet and hid behind one of the shelves. Outside, he heard the thump of Wolffe's footsteps as he passed the room. Fives let out a breath, "That was a close one,"

"Found you," Wolffe laughed from outside the door.

" _What? How?!_ " 

"I know your tricks far too well," the door opened with a hiss, Wolffe's broad figure casting a shadow onto Fives. He stepped closer, but paused mid-stride when he heard the door locked with a click, "Did you lock the _kriffing_ door?"

"What, no, did you?"

"Why the hell would I lock us in a room together- _we're locked in a room together_ ," Wolffe scrambled back to the door, trying a find a way to open it up, " _Kriffing hell_ ," he hit his fist on the door in frustration and slowly turned to watch a grin spread over Fives' face like butter on a slice of hot toast. 

"You're in for a treat, Commander,"

"Kill me now," Wolffe rolled his eyes so hard he thought they might get stuck in the back of his head. 

"Just curious, Commander," Fives fiddled with one of the crates on the shelf, "Why were you chasing me in the first place?"

"Do you really want me to list all of the stupid things you've done while I'm around?"

"I mean, I'm assuming we'll be having a lot of time on our hands, so," Fives shrugged while he pulled a prototype blaster out of the crate, admiring the way it felt in his grasp.

"Yeah, nevermind," Wolffe slumped down against the far wall, giving him as much space from Fives as possible. He pulled a DC-17 from its holster, then looked around the room trying to spot what he was looking for, "Pass me that rag," Wolffe pointed to the gray cloth on the other side of the room.

"What's the magic word?" Fives taunted him.

"Please," Wolffe whispered.

"What was that? I couldn't hear you, Comma-"

"Just give me the damn rag," the low growl that emitted from Wolffe's throat echoed throughout the closet. 

"Alright, alright," Fives tossed him the rag, "Someone's in a bad mood,"

"I wonder why," 

"Me too,"

Wolffe only glared at him, then focused on cleaning the barrel of his blaster. He was beginning to consider setting it to stun and taking a good aim at Fives but decided it would be too much trouble when he woke up. 

"You know, I always wondered why you're so grumpy. At first, I thought it was because you didn't get any sleep or because of your eye, but now I'm pretty sure you just came out of your growth pod with a permanent scowl," 

Wolffe huffed, "Yeah, well, maybe that _is_ true. And you came out of _yours_ with a need to piss everyone off,"

"Guilty as charged,"

"Bet your batch hated having to deal with you," Wolffe let out a laugh.

"Not exactly. A few of them were like me, but... now Echo and I are all who's left," 

"War has its price," Wolffe placed his blaster back in its holster, exchanging it for the other. 

"What about you, who are your batchmates?"

"Why do you want to know?" Wolffe narrowed his eyes.

"I'm just curious,"

Wolffe considered Fives' question for a moment before he decided it couldn't hurt to tell him, "Cody, Bly, Gree, and Ponds,"

"Huh, I never knew Cody was your batchmate,"

"Yeah, well, now you know. Happy now?"

" _Damn_ , ok, I get it, you're not the talkative type,"

"Took you long enough to figure out,"

"Oh boy, you must've been such a pain in the ass growing up on Kamino,"

"Could say the same for you,"

"That's fair," Fives wandered over towards Wolffe's side of the room and laid down on the floor next to him. Minutes passed in comfortable silence as Wolffe continued to clean his blaster while Fives stared into the enticing void of the durasteel ceiling, "Can I use you as a pillow?"

" _What?_ No," 

"Come on, please? The floor's uncomfortable,"

"Doubt laying on armor is more comfortable,"

"I think it is,"

"It's still a no,"

"Ok," Fives shimmied his way closer to Wolffe's lap.

"Stop doing that,"

"Stop doing what?" 

"Inching your way over here like I don't notice,"

"Not sure what you're talking about,"

"Pfff," Wolffe rolled his eyes, "Fine, you can do it, as long as nobody knows about it,"

"Deal," Fives shuffled himself the rest of the way to Wolffe's lap, resting his head on his legs, "You have comfy thighs,"

"Uh, thanks?"

"Welcome," Fives drifted off into sleep while Wolffe worked on a few modifications to his helmet. 

Wolffe looked down at the drooling ARC who had ended up draping his whole torso over his legs, pinning him to the floor. He set down his helmet and clapped a hand over Fives' shoulder, "Eh, you're not that bad, kid. Course, you're never gonna know I said that, but uh... yeah,"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rex and Cody may or may not have locked the door so that Wolffe and Fives could start getting along with each other, but who knows for sure
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	68. The Way the Story Should Have Gone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Buckle up, friends, and get ready for 1,423 words of me writing about my headcanons if Anakin hadn't turned and Palpatine was killed in his office and the clones get to go free, etc.
> 
> Might do some part two's to this to expand on specific portions :)
> 
> Enjoy

"Commander Rex, the latest briefing has come in,"

"Want to have a look?" Rex turned to Ahsoka, "It might have an update on General Kenobi's efforts,"

"Sure, let's go," Ahsoka followed him from the bridge to the holo table. To her surprise, a hologram of Anakin Skywalker popped up in the center of the table.

"Ahsoka! Thank Force, you're alright," Anakin sounded out of breath as he continued to speak to her, "Chancellor Palpatine is the sith lord that's been behind the Clone Wars,"

" _What?_ The Chancellor?" Ahsoka and Rex shared a look of disbelief.

"Yes. I informed the Council, and we confronted him in his office. Master Windu killed him,"

"That's... the war could be _over_ ," Ahsoka pondered the thought that plagued her dreams: the thought of an end to the violence and bloodshed.

"It _is_ over, Snips. Obi-Wan just reported in that he killed Grievous on Utapau. We won,"

"We won..." At that, Ahsoka's eyes watered as she turned Rex, who too had teary eyes, "We did it Rex ol' boy," she smiled through the tears and launched herself at him in a bone-crushing hug.

"Yeah, we did, kid," he grinned against her left montral. 

"Let the rest of the men know," she pulled away to face Anakin.

"On it, Commander," Rex proceeded to both comm some of the men and sprint through the halls, telling every living being that they had won the war. 

"So, what now?" Ahsoka turned back to Anakin.

"Well, the Senate is holding an emergency session to elect a new chancellor to help settle peace negotiations with the Separatists. Most of the other battalions and Jedi have been called back to Coruscant. That's about it for now," Anakin smirked.

"How's Padme... and the child?" Ahsoka said in a hushed voice.

"She's doing amazing. And it's not just one," 

" _There's more??_ " 

"Twins actually. Their names are Luke and Leia,"

"They sound wonderful Anakin, I'm so happy for you," Ahsoka's heart melted at the thought of her old master becoming a father, but she couldn't help but ask the million credit question, "What about the Order?"

"I've thought long and hard about it, and... well, I think I'm going to leave. I have a family that I need to take care of now. I can't let them down. Not like I let you down," he turned his face down towards the ground.

"You didn't let me down, Anakin, you did precisely the opposite. You helped me and trusted me in a time of need. I couldn't have asked anything more from you,"

"Thanks, Snips. It means more than you know,"

"I'd give you a hug right now if you weren't a hologram," Ahsoka giggled.

"You can give it to me when you get back," the corner of his lip tugged upward, "I'll see you soon, Snips,"

"Will do, Skyguy,"

\--------------------------------------------------------------

"Hey, Commander, want to join us down in the barracks? Bit of a celebration going on, and I don't think you'll want to miss it," Rex tried to keep the noise from flooding into his comm as he spoke to Ahsoka.

"Sure, Rex, I'll be down in a minute," she couldn't help but smile freely at the hope of a future in which there was peace and prosperity. A future in which Anakin and Padme could raise their children without fear, a future in which the clones were free to live a life they wanted to live. That was the kind of future that sat ahead of _her_ as well. She could live the kind of life _she_ wanted to live, whether it was with the Order or off on some remote planet where she could watch the stars. It was up to her to decide now. Ahsoka pushed all that to the side, for the time being, her mind set on enjoying this victory with her brothers and perhaps with a couple of sips of whatever liquor someone had stowed away for a special occasion. 

"Hey, the Commander's here!" Someone shouted from the crowd of clones in the barracks. Cheers erupted from the men as Ahsoka made her way through the hoard, trying to find Rex. Eventually, she spotted him at the heart of the group, Jesse beside him.

"How's the General?" Rex motioned for her to sit next to him.

"Happy as ever," Ahsoka leaned in to whisper the rest in his ear, "He's got _twins_ now,"

Rex's eyes widened as he pulled back, "Padme had the baby- err- babies?!" 

"Yeah," Ahsoka giggled at the surprised look on Rex's face, "You're officially an uncle," she playfully hit him on the shoulder.

"Wow, I just... that's amazing. And you're officially an aunt,"

"I guess I am," 

"Hey, did you hear that?!" As usual, Jesse couldn't keep his mouth shut, and clearly, Ahsoka hadn't mastered the art of whispering, "The General's a dad!" He hollered, earning cheers and hollers of disbelief from his brothers, "I propose a toast!" He raised his small cup of what Ahsoka assumed was some sort of alcohol, "To the General and his family!" Shouts of affirmation sounded as the men drank to his toast.

Ahsoka stood, pulling Rex along with her and took the small cup of amber liquid that someone handed her, "I propose a toast as well!" At that, the whole room fell silent, their focus trained on her, "To all of you. The brave men I have fought beside since Christophsis. And to those who aren't around to witness this day. To the end of the war!" Everyone drank to that; the words of their beloved Commander always filling them with hope and pride.

Rex sipped his drink, "I couldn't have said it better myself,"

The rest of the trip home to Coruscant was filled with laughter and delight. A period of blood and suffering was finally coming to an end.

\------------------------------------------------------------

Over the course of a few days, Bail Organa was voted into the position of Supreme Chancellor, Padme Amidala, at his side as they arranged peace treaties with the Separatist Senate. Any system was allowed back into the Republic if they so wanted, but most remained part of the Separatist Alliance or in the Council of Neutral Systems. It would take many more years for both the Republic, Separatists, and Neutral Systems to mend the bonds that had been broken from the war, but all wounds take time to heal. It was time to build bridges, not walls.

Anakin Skywalker announced his decision to leave the Jedi Order to the Council as soon as Ahsoka and Obi-Wan returned to Coruscant. He was glad to take the position of a stay-at-home father to his two wonderful children as his wife helped piece the Republic back together. Padme promised him that as soon as the Senate was stable again, they would leave for Naboo and raise their children the way they had planned.

As for the clones, Padme urgently pushed a bill across the Senate floor for them to have their freedom. She wished for them to be released from the control of the Republic. After long sessions of debate and argument, the bill was finally passed, and the clones were free of their duty to the Republic. Many of the pilots took jobs at flight academies or continued piloting in the Republic Military. Many attended university, studying a variety of subjects. Others became painters or artists, their love of art born from their years of painting armor and gunships. A few, namely Commanders or higher-ranking officers like Rex, Wolffe, and Cody chose to retire to distant, out-of-the-way planets with a few brothers, needing a life filled with peace and comfort. 

Wolffe, Sinker, Boost, Comet, and a few other Wolfpack members set off into the Outer Rim, eager to build their own homes from scratch. Wolffe made Plo Koon promise to keep in touch and visit often once they had found a place to settle down.

Rex, Cody, Jesse, Kix, and Ahsoka retired to the Naboo countryside, living in a small village, finding odd jobs here and there. They'd eat dinner together almost every night, then go out and watch the sunset, go to sleep, then do it all over again the next day. Ahsoka shared her stories from after she left the Order, and Jesse would talk about a girl he met at the local cantina. They'd all occasionally go to Naboo and visit the Skywalker family, as would Obi-Wan to see Anakin and Cody. For the first time in a long while, there was harmony in the galaxy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!


	69. Ghost Stories

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just some good old scary stories :)
> 
> A warning if you aren't the biggest fan of scary stuff, it's not that bad in my opinion now that I read over it in the morning but it was a little creepy when I was writing it at 2 in the morning lol
> 
> 69th chapter boys hehe (sorry for that)

"Are you guys ready for the scariest ghost story you've ever heard?" Lightning struck not far from their campsite, illuminating Fives' face, showing the dangerous gleam in his eyes.

"Pfff, like you can tell something even remotely scary," Jesse laughed, still a little on edge from the lightning. 

" _Hey_. I can tell scary stuff," Fives assured him, "It all starts back on Kamino with one brother, we'll call him uh," Fives nervously looked around, trying to think up a name, "We'll call him Sticks," he picked up a nearby twig.

"Oh, brother, here we go," Kix leaned back against a tree trunk, bracing himself for Fives' horribly told story,

"Don't interrupt me, _Kix_. Anyways, back to the story. Every night, the second Sticks' pod clicked shut, and he settled in for the night, a glowing figure appeared. It hovered over him, watching, waiting. Never taking its gleaming eyes from his. And when it was time to get up-"

"For kriff _sake_ , you suck at telling ghost stories," Echo huffed.

"Oh, so you think you can tell one better, huh?" Fives cocked his head.

"Yes, in fact, I do," Echo seldom joined conversations, but on the rare occasion that he did, it was worth listening to. He poked at their small fire as the close by storm crawled ever closer, bringing sheets of rain bombarding the tarp held high above their heads, "There once was a man who lived in a village, on some distant planet forgotten to time. He had a wife and two kids who made his life worth living. Every day he would go out into the fields and work in the farms until the sun touched the horizon. It was then that he would trudge back home with the few credits he had earned that day, eager to see his family. One day, when the man was walking home, he sensed as if something was wrong in the village. He hurried home, asking his wife if something had happened. She told him that one of the children across town hadn't come back from his play in the woods. The man assured her that the boy most likely was separated from his group and that they'll send out a search party to find him if he doesn't return by morning. He tucked his children into bed, then retired to his own, awaiting the break of dawn,"

"Where does the _real_ story start?" Fives rolled his eyes.

"I'm _getting there_ , di'kut, just be patient," Echo hissed, "Come morning, the boy still hadn't returned and so he, and a few others set out into the forest to search for him. After hours of looking, the group returned to town, empty-handed. The man retreated to his home, telling his wife that they didn't find the boy. Neither of them slept well that night. They awoke at the break of dawn to a man yelling as he ran through the streets that another child had gone missing. Every morning, there was news that another had disappeared. And another. And another. Soon enough, the men and women began disappearing too. The man had boarded up his windows and installed extra locks on the doors to try and keep whatever was stealing the townspeople out. He kept a shotgun at the side of his bed, too. Late one night, he heard the low creaking sound of his stairs. The sound inched closer and closer to his room, then passed it, moving down the hallway,"

"Oh, _shit_ ," Jesse whispered.

"The man snapped awake, reaching for his shotgun and sprinted out the door, looking left and right down the hallway, finding the door of the children's room wide open. He rushed to their room, finding his young girl in the corner of her bed, clutching her blanket. The curtains of their window were billowing in the cool night air, the boards he had nailed over the opening, lying helpless on the ground. His son was gone. And the next night, his daughter was too. The creature continued stealing from their small village until the man and his wife were all that was left. He held her close, both of them shivering from the cold. He knew the creature would be coming for them. And he was right. The monster came without a doubt, enveloping his wife in its darkness and tearing her from his arms. Not a scream sounded from her as she disappeared from the house, leaving the man alone in the empty town. He waited for the next night: ready to face the horrid monster. And face it, he did. There was nothing he could do to stop the inevitable. He too was enveloped in its darkness and dragged away, his town left to rot," Echo sucked in a deep breath at the end of his story, hoping he had succeeded in giving his brothers a suitable story to plunder their dreams tonight. 

"That-that's the end?" Fives tripped over his words.

"Yes, that's the end," Echo said flatly.

"Hey, boys, it's getting late, get some rest," Rex ducked under the tarp, urging them up and to their bedrolls. 

"Sweet dreams," Echo smirked, pouring the bucket of water over the fire, snuffing out the flames.

"You-you don't think that story's true, do you?" Fives mumbled to the others. 

"Come on, Fives, you really believe that banthashit? He probably just made it up on the fly, trying to scare us," Kix patted him on the back as they walked towards a clearing where they had placed their bedrolls. Out of the corner of his eye, Fives spotted a blur of black slip through the treeline.

"Hey, did you see that?!" He pointed to where he saw the shadow.

"It's just your mind playing tricks on you, vod. It's nothing," Kix reassured him.

"Uh-huh, nothing," 

\---------------------------------------------------------

Fives tossed and turned under his thin blanket, curling his legs to his chest to preserve his warmth. He could have sworn he'd seen the same figure peeking through the trees. The rest of his brothers were out cold: something Fives didn't understand after hearing Echo's terrifying story. _You're just paranoid, di'kut; you're mind's playing with you, now go the kriff to sleep,_ He nestled himself further against his bedroll.

This time, Fives was sure he saw the shape sprint around their campsite. He was _so_ sure of it. It moved in circles around them, still hidden behind the trees. 

"Kix, Kix, Kix," Fives patted the bedroll beside him, feeling around for his brother, until he turned around, finding it empty, " _Kix_?! You there?" No response. Fives scanned the rest of the campsite, finding not a single brother lying against the damp ground, "What the _hell?!_ " A bead of sweat trickled down his forehead and dripped down onto the soil.

All of a sudden, strong arms grabbed him under his shoulders and yanked him back, pulling him through the dewy grass. Fives let out an absolutely blood-curdling scream as he struggled to escape its grip, only to be met by warm, humorous laughter.

"Oh man, I don't think I've ever seen you so afraid before in my _life!_ " Jesse released his grip on Fives' arms.

"Wha-what the hell??" Fives scrambled away from him as he watched his brothers emerge from the forest, holding on to each other as to not fall over from laughter.

"It was a brilliant idea, Echo; I'll give you that," Kix giggled.

" _You_ did this?!" Fives watched a slow smirk spread across his batchmate's face.

"It was time someone got you back for all the pranks you pull,"

"That's understandable, but this was just mean," Fives pouted, giving Echo his best puppy-dog eyes.

"Eh, cut the shit, you're just pissed someone got you good," Echo laughed.

"Damnit, fine," Fives begrudgingly admitted to being beaten and slumped down next to Echo. He pressed his body into him, Echo in turn throwing an arm over Fives, "Just don't do it again,"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	70. Charades

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Combined my own I idea of a game of charades with the request from @Spider_Man_Mando for the 501st and Ahsoka to meet Depa and Caleb.

"Where are we headed, Master?" Ahsoka walked beside him towards the bridge.

"Ryloth. We're tagging along with Master Billapa and her padawan Caleb Dume," the doors slid open, revealing the two of them standing around the holo table.

"Skywalker, Padawan Tano," Depa greeted them, "Are we ready to go?" 

"I believe so. Admiral, prepare for takeoff," Anakin nodded in Yularen's direction.

"Yes, sir," he responded.

"Caleb, why don't you go with Ahsoka, Anakin and I have a few things to catch up on," Depa told him.

"Yes, Master," he followed Ahsoka through the halls and towards the lift, "Uh, where are we going?" 

"Down to the barracks," Ahsoka picked at her nails as they traveled to the lower levels.

"Oh, cool. Do you guys play games and stuff?" 

"Yeah, usually, or we watch Fives do stupid things. It helps pass the time," Ahsoka laughed, "Come on, let's go," she exited the lift, pulling Caleb down the hallway towards the barracks. Right before she pressed the button to open the door, a loud crash sounded from inside; presumably, Fives, "What did he do _this_ time?" Ahsoka rolled her eyes at the sight of a row of bunks toppled over like dominoes, Fives sprawled out over the first one. 

"Dumbass fell over hard enough to push the damn bunk over," Jesse laughed.

"Caleb, that's Jesse, Echo, Kix, and Rex," she pointed to each of them.

"And from what you told me in the lift, I'm guessing that's Fives?" He pointed to the dizzy ARC.

"You got that right," Echo huffed, "Di'kut's never gonna learn how to _not,_ make a mess of things," 

"What are we doing this mission, boys?" Ahsoka threw herself onto a nearby bunk.

"Oooo, we should play charades," Fives pipped up, still strewn across the bunk he had knocked over.

"The last time we played that, you got, let's say _more_ than a little tipsy, and it was not enjoyable," Kix said flatly.

"Yeah, well, I'm not drunk right now," Fives stood, stumbling a little as he walked over to the group.

"Sure as hell are acting like it," Echo laughed.

"Shut up," he trudged over and sat beside Ahsoka, leaning up against the frame of the bunk. 

"Not to brag or anything, but I'm sort of a master at charades," Caleb crossed his arms, a small smirk splaying over his face.

"Oh, yeah?" Jesse grinned, "Well, I think it's settled then. Echo go grab the datapad,"

"Why am I always the one told to do things?" Echo mumbled.

"Because you'll actually do them," 

"You got me there, vod," Echo returned, clutching the small datapad. 

"I call the Commander as my partner," Fives swung his arm around Ahsoka's shoulder.

"I call Kix cause he's the only sane one here," Echo said.

"I'm sitting _right_ here," Rex mumbled from the top bunk. 

"You're insane in your own way, Cap," Fives clapped his knee.

"Hey kid," Jesse nodded towards Caleb, "Partners,"

"Yeah," Caleb grinned.

"Guess that means Rex isn't playing," Fives hit the back of the Captain's legs, making them swing back and forth over the edge of the bunk.

"Fine by me, I need to take a _nap_ ," Rex groaned as he lay down on the cot, burying his face in the pillow.

"Alright, Fives, you go first," Jesse pointed at him.

"Ok, ok, gimme the datapad," He motioned for Echo to hand it to him, then pressed the shuffle button to give him something to act out. The list was made by the six of them, including names, titles of famous holo novels, and other various objects. He signaled for Echo to start the timer and cracked his knuckles. Fives proceeded to take his finger and draw a line through his right eyebrow down to below his eye. He then put on a deep scowl and stiffened his back. Ahsoka was starting to catch on to what he was getting at, but she needed to be sure. Fives then rolled his eyes dramatically, and at that point, she knew, "Wolffe," 

"Bingo," he made finger guns at her and sat back down.

"Are you kriffing _kidding me??_ " Jesse face-palmed.

"Take that, di'kut," Fives gave him the finger, "Echo, you're next,"

Echo groaned as he stood, regretting agreeing to play. He shuffled the options and internally cursed himself for the one he got, "Start the timer," Echo started off by pointing to Rex, who was fast asleep on the top bunk. 

"Something about Rex," Kix said, Echo nodding at his statement. He then stretched his arms out, pretending to use the Force, mimicking lifting Rex high into the air, "The Force..." Kix trailed on.

"30 seconds left," Ahsoka told them. Echo then jumped up in the air and flailed out his arms, opening his mouth as if screaming, then landed back on the ground.

"What the hell was that supposed to mean?" Kix looked at him helplessly.

"Oh, I know what it is," Ahsoka smirked, "You got 10 seconds,"

"Uhhhh, Rex getting lifted with the Force- _OH!_ Rex getting thrown off a cliff by the General!"

" _Finally_ ," Echo collapsed back into his bunk.

"Wait, that's happened before?" Caleb looked at them with disbelief.

"Yeah, it happens all the time, poor Cap hates it," Echo laughed, "You go next, kid," 

"Ok," Caleb took the datapad from Ahsoka's hand and hit shuffle. With the option that showed up, he was sure this would be easy to guess, "Start the timer," Caleb pulled his lightsaber from his belt, igniting the blade. He moved his arm over his head, the blade still facing forward. He held up his middle and pointer fingers on his other hand, pointing them forward as well. 

"Oh, that's General Kenobi!" Jesse shouted, high-fiving Caleb as he sat down next to him. 

"Come on, that was _so_ easy," Fives complained.

"Yeah, like you didn't have the most recognizable Commander in the entire GAR," Jesse countered. 

"Ahsoka, where's Rex?" Anakin's voice sounded from her comm, "He's not picking up,"

"He's asleep, Master, I'll get him up," Ahsoka stood up and nudged the Captain.

"I'm up; I'm up!" Rex's eyes snapped open as he shot up into a sitting position.

"Rex, Ahsoka, get the men prepared, we're about to drop out of hyperspace," Anakin closed off the comm.

"Well, games over, I guess," Jesse stood, grabbing his helmet from under the bed, "It was fun playing with you, kid," he turned to Caleb, "Now it's time to go kick some clanker ass,"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!


	71. Not-So-Secret Relationship

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some more of Anakin and Padme's obvious relationship and I mixed in a request from @vickyz17 with some more of Padme and clones which I have to say I didn't include too much, but some of it is in there :)

"Sir, why are we going to Senator Amidala's office?" Rex followed Anakin as they maneuvered through the halls of the senate building. 

"I have some things I need to discuss with her," Anakin responded, well aware that Rex knew of his relationship with the senator.

"Uh-huh, _things_ ," the Captain smirked under his helmet.

"Rex," 

"Sorry, General," he couldn't hide the smile spread wide on his face. It'd been a few weeks since Anakin had told Rex of his "situation" with Padme Amidala, and now he was being dragged around attending to the General's urgent "meetings" with her. Rex didn't particularly care, though, as long as all he had to do was stand around because Force knew that he couldn't lie to save his _life_. It was a new experience, having to lie and he couldn't say that he liked it. The act put a special kind of pressure on him that was most certainly _not_ needed in his already stressful life. 

"Just knock on the door if someone's coming," Anakin told him as he slipped inside his wife's office.

"Yes, sir," at least he would have some company. Fox stood at attention outside the door, immediately opening a private comm channel.

"Morning, Captain," Fox's gruff voice echoed in Rex's helmet.

"Morning, Commander," Rex positioned himself parallel to Fox, leaning against the other side of the door, "How's your day been?"

"Pretty good, actually. Starting to worry me, though. I don't like it when my day's enjoyable, it means something bad is about to happen,"

"Try and stay optimistic, vod," 

"Believe me, I try, but it all runs out the second I wake up," Fox grunted.

"At least you get a bit of break around the Senator," Rex gestured to the door.

"Yeah, that's true. It feels weird sometimes cause she's so kind. Makes me feel normal for once,"

"Yeah," Rex remembered the few times he had interacted with Padme, all of them being kind and gracious memories.

"How much do you want to bet they're _not_ discussing politics?" Fox snickered, for he too had caught on to the closeness of the two, simply from how many times the Jedi and Senator would meet up and the small pieces of their conversations he would hear. It was when Fox had his suspicions that Rex's terrible lying came in handy, pretty much confirming what he presumed to be true.

"I'd bet every single credit I have, that is, if I had credits," the two shared a well-needed laugh before Padme emerged from her office, Anakin in tow.

"Hello, Fox, Rex," she greeted each of them with a warm smile.

"Good to see you, Senator," Rex gave her a curt nod.

"Likewise, Captain. I hope Anakin here hasn't been keeping you too busy," 

"Eh, the General tries his best," Rex chuckled, both him and Fox following the two of them as they walked down the hallway. He switched back to the private channel with Fox once they'd settled into a steady pace, "How do people not notice they're _much_ closer than friends?"

"You were once one of those people," Fox huffed.

"You're not answering my question,"

"If I'm being honest, I don't think anyone in this building cares about anyone else. The only reason I somewhat figured it out is because I had nothing better to do than look around and listen,"

"I see your point, but it's just so..."

"Obvious?"

"Obvious!" Rex groaned.

"I know, vod, believe me, I know," the four of them came upon a side exit at which they were to part their separate ways.

"It was a pleasure talking with you, milady," Anakin took Padme's hand, bringing it up to his lips to press a kiss on the back of her glove.

"The pleasure was all mine," her cheeks flushed a bright pink, while Fox and Rex shared a look of pure annoyance through their visors.

"You're kriffing kidding me, right?" Rex looked back towards the sight of the General and his wife entranced in each other.

"I wish I was, vod," Fox cleared his throat, breaking off from their private channel, "Senator, we best be getting back to your office, you have a meeting in twenty minutes,"

"Yes, of course, Fox," she snapped out of her trance, giving Anakin a short wave as she turned back down the hallway.

"Talk to you later," Fox spoke through the private channel again.

"Hope you sleep well tonight, vod," Rex snorted.

"No promises,"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading, friends!


	72. The Neverending Mission Pt.2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A little part two from Fox's perspective after he shot Fives and Rex punched him in the face cause it was time for me to write something sad

All Fox could think about was how much he _deserved_ Rex's punch to the face. He sat in his quarters, clutching a slowly reddening cloth to his gushing nose. He felt so _numb_ to everything like every nerve in his body had been dialed down from a ten to a three. Nothing felt right to him anymore. Fox lazily blinked at the crease where the wall met the floor, his tears in his eyes blurring the image of his room into streaks of grays and blacks. He didn't have it in himself to cry. He couldn't say he deserved to either. Fox secretly wished someone would come knocking on his door, asking him if he was alright, but he knew no one would dare to do so. His mind ran over the fresh memories of the past few days, forgetting the need to keep the cloth pressed against his nose. Fox let it drop to the floor, the sounds of his crimson red blood dripping onto the hard durasteel filling the room. Not a muscle of his body moved to retrieve the cloth, nor did a single one care. 

He didn't know how to tell himself that he was only doing his job, and it wasn't personal. He was doing what was ordered of him, right? The second he pulled his trigger, he knew there was no going back. He never wanted to kill Fives. Fives was his _brother._

_Then why did you put a blaster bolt in his chest?_

Rex's words bounced around in Fox's head, and the truth was, he didn't know. Not a single cell in his body knew the answer to that question, nor would any amount of thinking or time help him answer it. _Why couldn't he have put the damn thing on stun?_ The flip of a switch was all it would have taken to keep Fives alive. 

_Drip_

_Drip_

_Drip_

The droplets of blood pooling beside his feet brought him back from the depths of his consciousness. Fox scooped up the cloth, internally damning himself for the splattered blood on his armor, although maybe he should keep it: it would serve as a reminder. He stuck the end of the towel up to his left nostril, hoping whatever was bleeding would scab up soon. 

Fox wasn't even sure why he decided to confront Rex about the topic. He knew from the second he stepped into the room, that he was going to get punched at least once. He was practically _asking_ for it by getting the Captain riled up, but maybe that's what he had wanted. Fox needed someone to not hold back about how they felt, and that's precisely what he got. The snark fueling his words practically urged Rex to hit him with the truth, _literally_.

He stood, lurching towards the fresher to rinse both his face and the cloth of his blood. He wet the towel, wringing as much of the pale red liquid from it as he could. Fox laid the stained towel on the edge of the sink, then washed the metallic tang from his mouth, then from the tip of his nose. He cupped his hands and held them under the faucet, collecting the warm water, then raised it to his parched lips. After drinking a few handfuls, he braced his arms on either side of the sink, looking himself in the mirror. When he'd had enough of the face that looked back at him, he trudged back to the pool of blood glimmering on the durasteel floor with a clean cloth. Fox carefully wiped it up, whisking away his reflection in the deep liquid. He threw the towel back into the fresher, then crawled into bed, awaiting what was to follow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading guys I hope you enjoyed!


	73. Vines

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry y'all I didn't write anything last night cause I had a terrible headache and had to go to bed so I decided to show you guys the list my friend and I made of clone wars characters as vines and I hope that suffices :|

Fives: *rolling on the floor*

Echo: oh he need some m i l k

Fives: alright, let's tell each other a secret about ourselves.

Dogma:

Fives: I'm gonna go first

Dogma:

Fives: I _hate_ you

Rex: aren't you like too nine years old?

Ahsoka: I'm eleven so shut the fuck up

Boba: I said 1 2 3 all the kids laugh at me, but they don't really know that my dad has a gun yeah

Rex: can I get a waffle?

*Fives and Jesse fighting* 

Rex: can I please get a waffle?

Obi-Wan: what would you do if there was a child right in front of you?

Anakin: *slaps child*

Fives: *walks into the room and shoots his blaster at the ceiling*

Jesse: THIS IS WHY MOM (rex) DOESN'T FUCKING LOVE YOU

Fives: smack cam

Rex: bitch I hope the fuck you do, you'll be a dead son of a bitch I tell you that

Anakin: how does it feel to be the worst cop ever, huh?

Ahsoka: shut up, your mother buys you mega blocks instead of legos

Anakin: you fucking take that back

Rex: it's summer, I got my hat on backwards, and it's time to fucking party *hits head on pipe*

Anakin: *swipes card on Mace Windu's head*

Anakin: debit or credit

Padme: hey babe, happy one year

Anakin:

Padme:

Anakin: I'm 27

Jesse: are you ready to fucking die!?

Fives: I'm on the bed bitch, you can't kill me!

Jesse:

Jesse: BI-

Anakin: we all die someday you either kill yourself or get killed

Rex: *making the beat on the doorway*

Anakin: whatcha gonna do?

Obi-Wan: what do you have?

Anakin: a knife!

Obi-Wan: NOOO

Ahsoka: daddy?

Anakin:

Anakin: do I _look_

Fives: so I have a banana peel on the floor, and I'm gonna see if it's really slippery like it is in the cartoons

Fives: *slips*

Fives: EUAGGGHHHHH

Fives: don't fuck with me, I have the power of god and anime on my side, AHHHH

Kix: you know what, I'm about to say it

Fives: say it

Jesse: say it

Kix: _I don't care that you broke your elbow_

Ahsoka: mother trucker dude, that hurt like a buttcheek on a stick

The entire 501st: watch your profanity

Anakin: don't tell your mother

Padme: kiss one another

Anakin: **_die for each other_ **

Ob-Wan: what will you learn

Anakin:

Obi-Wan: _what will you learn_

Anakin:

Obi-Wan: that your actions have c o n s e q u e n c e s

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading guys!


	74. Prepare For The Worst

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A request from @JediKnightRubyAndClones for Fives and Echo pranking Rex :)
> 
> Might be some mistakes in there I didn't have a lot of time to edit :/

" _Please_ , vod," Fives begged him.

" _No_ ," Echo denied, "I'm not pulling a prank on the Captain with you."

"Why? Cause it's _against regulations?_ " Fives mocked.

"Precisely,"

"Oh come on, this one is good, I promise,"

"No,"

"Don't you want to _live_ a little? Have some fun?"

"I _do_ have fun,"

"Oh yeah, how so?" Fives quirked an eyebrow, "By reading the regs manual?"

"I um," Echo cleared his throat, "Well, I,"

"That's what I thought,"

"I still don't want to do it with you,"

" _Echo_ ," Fives groaned, "What would it take for you to do it with me?"

"I don't know," 

"How about if you do this one thing with me, I won't ask you to do something like it ever again?"

Echo pondered Fives' offer, carefully searching his proposal for loopholes, which he didn't find, although he didn't think too hard about it.

"Fine, deal. But you _better_ keep your promise,"

"I'm a man of my word,"

"You're not, but ok," Echo smirked at the death stare Fives gave him.

"Anyways, let's get on with the plan,"

"What is the plan, exactly?" 

"I'm glad you asked," Fives excitedly rubbed his palms together, "Pretty sure Cap accidentally fell asleep in his quarters tonight, or maybe he was just too lazy to go to the barracks, but that's beside the point. We go in, change the time on his Chrono, so it looks like it's morning, and he overslept his alarm. _Then_ , we leave, and _you_ comm him telling him that he's late for a briefing or something, and we wait for him to realize it's still the middle of the night,"

"Wait, why am _I_ the one who has to comm him?"

"Because if I do it, he'll know it's a prank,"

"So, that's the only reason you wanted me to do this with you?" 

"Maybe," Fives shrugged as they made their way to Rex's room.

"You're unbelievable,"

"Thank you,"

"It wasn't a compliment,"

"Whatever," the two neared the Captain's door, "Ready?"

"What am I supposed to say? Yes?" 

"Just stay here, will you?" Fives slipped inside while Echo patiently waited, leaning against the side of the wall. 

Rex didn't stir one bit as Fives moved towards the small table close to his bed. He reached for the Chrono, pressing a few buttons as he changed the time from 1:17 to 6:43, which was a good 45 minutes past the usual time Rex would get up. Fives turned off the alarm with the flip of a switch, keeping his eye on the passed out Captain merely a few feet away from him. 

"Sorry about this, Cap," Fives gently patted the top of Rex's head and snuck back out of the room, "Trap is set," 

"Now what?" Echo looked at him.

" _Now_ you comm him," Fives urged.

"Ok, ok," Echo reluctantly pressed his wrist comm, the distant beeping of Rex's sounding from inside his room, "Captain, come in,"

"What is it this time, Echo?" Rex's groggy voice mumbled.

"Sir, you're late for the uh... for the briefing," Echo looked at Fives with wide eyes, not quite sure what to do.

"The _briefing? How?!_ " 

"I believe you overslept, sir," Echo couldn't help but giggle at the audibly loud groan he could hear from both the comm and Rex's room. 

"I'll be there as fast as I can," thuds and curses emitted from Rex's quarters at his swift attempt of kitting up his armor.

"He's gotta be setting a record with how quick he's kitting up," Fives laughed. After a few more seconds, the door slid open, a flustered Rex losing his balance while putting on his boot and falling face down on the floor.

The Captain yelped as he failed to outstretch his hands and catch himself, "Oh, _kriffing hell_ ," his helmet rolled to the side as he pushed himself off of the floor.

"What are you doing up this early, Cap?" Fives crossed his arms and leaned against the wall.

"What do you mean, I'm late- why is Echo here, aren't you at the briefing?" Rex blinked confusingly at the two ARC's, slowly putting the pieces together, "It's not 6:43, is it?"

"Nope," Fives picked at his nails, a small smile spreading across his face.

"Fuck you; I'm going back to sleep,"

"Nighty-night, Cap," Fives waved him goodbye as Rex stormed back into his room.

Rex chuckled from inside, "I'm not done with you yet, di'kuts, you have till morning to prepare for the worst,"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	75. Cliff Jumping But Don't Tell Rex

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Requested by Olivia! 
> 
> Rex realizing he has to be thrown off another cliff :o

"Rex, on your left!" Ahsoka shouted to the Captain, warning him of the incoming droids.

"Got it!" Rex turned sharply, ducking at the approaching blasts and firing back his own, "Pretty sure they know we're here. We've lost our stealth,"

"That's fine, all we need to do is blow this place and get out," Anakin led the way through the halls of the Separatist stronghold, making his way towards the upper levels. They attached explosives along the walls as they made their way to the main control room.

"Is there a plan for getting out once we detonate the bombs?" Rex took in a deep breath as they neared the control room.

"We'll get there when we get there," Anakin responded, him and Ahsoka beginning to cut through the durasteel doors.

"That's just another way of saying you _don't_ have a plan, sir,"

"Maybe," Anakin shrugged and motioned for the two of them to get ready as he counted down from three to one on his fingers, then Force-pushed the door down. They cut down the four tactical droids stationed around a holo table, then placed even more explosives along the communication pannels. 

"Will this window do, Master?" Ahsoka pointed to the rectangular glass pane reaching from the floor to the ceiling. 

"As long as it goes straight down to the bottom," Anakin said, fiddling with the detonator in his hand.

"Wait, wait, wait, _please_ don't tell me you're gonna throw me out the window," Rex shook his head.

" _See_ , Master, I told you we should've come up with a different plan. Rexster here is afraid of heights," Ahsoka smirked.

"I am _not_ , I just don't like it when you _Force-hurl_ me off of high places," Rex huffed, "I'm not going out that window,"

"Rex, it's the only way out," Anakin argued.

"Uh-uh," Rex furiously shook his head and backed up, "No way,"

" _Rex_ , come on," Ahsoka moved behind him, shoving him towards the window as Anakin cut through the glass.

"No, no, no, no, no, not again, not again," Rex tried to escape Ahsoka's tight grip on his back, but she held fast. Anakin stepped aside once the glass had been removed from the frame, allowing Ahsoka to move Rex into position. He braced his hands on either side of the frame, not allowing Ahsoka to push him out and into the frigid wind, "Commander, please, no, no, no,"

"Oh kriff this," Ahsoka stepped back and gave him a shove with the Force, sending the poor Captain out into the sky, limbs flailing as he plummeted towards the ground. 

"After you, Snips," Anakin gestured to the open window with his usual smirk splaying over his face. Ahsoka launched herself out into the air, a cry of joy leaving her lips as she dove fast, trying to catch up with Rex. Anakin soon followed after he detonated the explosives, rushing down towards his padawan and captain. Rex's screams trailed through the air as he got closer and closer to the ground, the explosion of the Separatist base rattling the space around them.

Anakin and Ahsoka landed gracefully with the aid of the Force, focusing their attention on Rex, who was close behind them. The two stretching their arms out to catch him with the Force, carefully laying his body on the hard dirt. 

"Please, no more of that," Rex rasped, his voice spent from yelling. 

"No promises, Rex 'ol boy," Ahsoka pulled him up, "At least the boys will have a good story to laugh about,"

"The _boys_ are not going to know about this," Rex swayed on his feet. 

"Oh, they will, they'll know the second they see your face. Everyone _always_ knows when it happens, it's just a given,"

Rex groaned, "I need a cup of caf and a _nap_ ,"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading, broskis


	76. Clones are Kriffing Artists Pt.2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A request from @vickyz17 for a part 2
> 
> This one's a bit short but a lil sweet :)
> 
> Just an update, I changed my username from brownie00000 to crashong, which is also my tumblr if you wanted to hop over there and check it out :)
> 
> Thank you guys for over 13,000 hits and almost 400 kudos, they mean the world <3

"How are you guys so _good_ at this?!" Ahsoka exclaimed as she turned Fives' finished phase 2 helmet in her hands. 

"It's one of the few things we can make our own," Fives explained, "So we learn to get good at it," he motioned for her to give the helmet back, a paintbrush in hand to make some touch-ups.

"Where do you get the ideas for what to paint?" Ahsoka pushed further, ever so curious about the unique culture the clones had formed for themselves. 

"It depends. Might be from your name, or an experience, or just whatever comes to mind. Mine is the Rishi Eel from the outpost," Fives said proudly, "You remember that, Cap?"

"Don't think I could ever forget it," Rex chuckled.

"Yeah, he killed the thing in one shot!" Fives gave him a nudge.

"Yeah, yeah, big deal," Rex rolled his eyes.

"Hardcase over there likes lines I guess," 

" _Hey_ ," Hardcase hollered from across the barracks.

"What, do you have a better explanation of why your armor has lines all over it?" Fives called back. Hardcase was silent for a moment before he responded.

"...No," 

"Yeah, that's what I thought. Anyways," Fives turned back to the group, "It keeps our minds busy when we're not fighting. It's distracting when it needs to be,"

Ahsoka could feel the heaviness in his voice. Painting kept the men's mind away from the trauma of the war when it became too much to handle. It was a way to express themselves and who they are, _showing_ they aren't just the same face. She watched as Rex fiddled with the T-visor from their phase 1 helmets, marking measurements on his new, dusty white one.

"Whatcha doin' there, Rexster?" She inquired.

"I don't like these new visors," Rex huffed, "So I'm fixing it,"

Ahsoka shifted her gaze around the room, smiling at all the painting clones that seemed to be blissfully unaware of anything other than what they were focused on. And at that moment, she didn't see soldiers. She saw artists.


	77. The Prank King

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A request from @Gerstein03 for Fives planning a party but everyone thinks it's a prank on the commanders, but it's not cause Fives just likes to fuck with everyone :)

"He's fucking with us, right?" Wolffe stared blankly at the datapad in his hand, rereading Fives' message to come to the mess hall at 11:00 for a "surprise."

"What do _you_ think?" Fox replied sarcastically, earning him a deathly glare from Wolffe.

"There's no way in hell we're going there; it's a trap. Should just lock ourselves in here and wait till morning," Cody laughed.

"I'm with Cody on this one," Rex agreed weakly. It had only been days since the end of the war, and Sideous' death, leaving the clones anxious about what was to happen to them. Most of the battalions had made their way back to Coruscant and weren't doing much but lazing around. Because of the abundance of _annoyances_ , namely Fives, the four of them had taken to barricading themselves in someone's private quarters for hours at a time, just to get a little peace and quiet.

"Well, what if by 'surprise' he means a party or something?" Fox leaned back in Rex's desk chair.

"If he did, A) he would've said so, and B) it would be a prank anyway. The man can't be trusted," Cody answered.

"I don't know; this feels legit," Fox rubbed the back of his head. 

Wolffe sighed, "It's not, vod, trust me,"

\------------------------------------------------------

"It's a prank, right? Please tell me it's a prank," Jesse pleaded as he read Fives' invitation. 

"Most likely for the commanders," Ahsoka giggled, "We're going to watch," 

"Oh, this is going to be good," Hardcase chuckled.

"How is he going to get the commanders in the mess hall, though?" Ahsoka said.

"No idea, but he'll figure out a way. He always does," Jesse assured her. 

"He better,"

\-----------------------------------------------------------

"Where's Rex and the others?" Fives scowled, "They should be here by now,"

"You're pranking them, and you couldn't even get them in the _room?_ " Jesse deadpanned.

" _What!?_ I'm not pranking them; we're having a party!" Fives gestured to his stash of drinks sitting on the table and the crowd of clones roaming the room, "It's the end of the war and everyone except me has durasteel sticks shoved so far up their ass they can barely walk, so I think it's time for everyone to loosen the kriff up and _be happy,_ "

"You're _not?!_ Good grief, Fives, I was really looking forward to it," Ahsoka groaned.

"Well, _sorry_ to disappoint, Commander," Fives narrowed his eyes at her, "I'm just trying to get everyone to have a good time,"

"You're the most clueless person I've ever met," Jesse shook his head.

"What do you mean?"

"You send them an invitation asking them to come here at 11 for a _surprise,_ and you actually expect them to think it's not a prank?!" 

"Am I supposed to say no to that?" Fives flinched.

" _No!_ "

"Oh, well why don't you just go get them or something," 

"You know what, fine, let's go. Kind of want to see their reaction, to be honest," Ahsoka grinned as she pulled Jesse to the door, comming Rex as they walked through the hallways, "Rex, where are you?"

"My quarters, Commander," Rex responded.

"I'll be there soon," with that, she closed the channel and picked up her pace to a light jog as she made her way down to the Captain's room. She rapped lightly on the door, surprised when it slid open to reveal Rex lying almost asleep on his bed, Fox spinning slowly in his chair, his head turned upward to the ceiling, Wolffe leaning against the opposing wall, his usual scowl spread across his face, and a tired Cody at the door in front of her, "Oh, hey guys, didn't know you were all here,"

"What do you need, sir?" Rex at up, focusing on her.

"Aren't you guys coming to the mess hall?" Ahsoka shifted to lean against the open doorway while Jesse remained behind her.

"Funny," Cody huffed.

"He's not trying to prank you guys; he's throwing a party," Ahsoka explained,

"Like hell, he is," Wolffe hissed.

"It's true; I'm not lying," 

"See, I told you all; he's being legitimate for once," Fox stood up from the chair, moving to the door.

"It's just a front for whatever he's scheming, Fox, don't fall for it," Cody warned him.

"He brought out his best bottles of liquor," Ahsoka shrugged, "You guys are gonna miss out. Please, just come on. He's being serious, I promise,"

The three of them shared a look before Cody stood to join Ahsoka at the door, "I don't even care what he does to me, I need a kriffing drink,"

"Fine, I'll go, but if he pulls something, I'm putting an end to him right there. For _real_ this time," Wolffe growled.

"That sounds fair to me," Rex groaned as he stood from the bed, slowly following the others out the door and to the mess hall.

\---------------------------------------------------

" _Finally_ , you're here. You're all glowering, but you're here," Fives grinned. The three commanding officers were all a bit on edge: scanning the room for anything out of place or suspicious. Cody, on the other hand, strode right up to the table of drinks and poured himself a _large_ cup of vodka, nearly downing the whole thing in one sip. 

Fives internally smirked, for making them paranoid whenever they were around him, had always been his ultimate goal. The anxiety that radiated from all of them was almost unbearable, but Fives took pride in the fact, they were worried whenever he was around. He may have been dumb, but at least he wasn't stupid. He knew the four of them would think that he was trying to prank him, but the only reason Fives had set this whole thing up was to fuck around with his commanding officers just because he could.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading, guys!


	78. Rescue Mission

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Requested by @Olivia
> 
> Wolffe and Cody must break out the 501st from a Separatist fortress
> 
> Sorry for the late post y'all took me a while to write this :/

"What's our plan of action?" Wolffe turned to Cody as he surveyed the holo table displaying the Separatist fortress.

"Well, without any Jedi, I'm not sure we _have_ one," Cody shifted.

"We can't just _leave_ them there," 

"I'm not saying we are, it's just we have a slim chance of getting them out, let alone breaching the Seppie's defenses," Cody gestured to the many battalions of battle droids lining the outside of the fortress. With their recent defeat, many of the 501st's troops had been forced to surrender. Thankfully, the droids had been in a good mood and decided to take prisoners instead of killing them where they stood. Cody was glad that his brothers were alive, of course, but it was going to be damn near impossible to get Rex and his boys out. Not having any Jedi to help them wasn't making things any easier. Cody, Wolffe, and Rex, had been sent to clean up the few remaining Separatist forces, but they had _clearly_ miscalculated the Seppies' numbers. Their Republic forces had been hit hard, and there wasn't anyone close enough to send aid. Now Wolffe and Cody had to execute a possible suicide mission. 

"There has to be a way," Wolffe pushed, "We need to come up with _something_ ,"

"I know, I know, just let me think," Cody furrowed his brow, analyzing the holo map below him, "The problem is, they'll know we're coming, and we have nowhere _near_ enough men to push a full-frontal attack,"

"So let's lure them out. They're still trying to gain control over the planet, and they can't do that if the Republic still has a hold, no matter how small it is,"

"What are you suggesting?"

"We'll have Sinker lead a small group to the front of the base and start a small attack," Wolffe pointed to the holo map, "It'll get their attention. Make them think we don't have that many in numbers and that it's our main attack. They'll retreat closer to our own stronghold, where they'll meet up with Boost and the rest of the men. Meanwhile, you and I lead a small team around back and sneak in to get Rex and the others. We'll be hitting two tooka's with one stone: get rid of the Seppies and rescue our brothers,"

\--------------------------------------------------------------

"Have any ideas as to how we're going to get in?" Wolffe whispered as he, Cody, and a few of their best men moved through the forest. 

"Not in particular, but I'm sure we'll think of something," Cody responded.

"Commander, we're beginning our attack," Sinker said over the comm.

"Proceed with the plan," Wolffe replied.

"Yes, sir,"

"Let's hope this works," Cody sighed. They continued to creep through the forest, the dim outline of the Separatist base showing through the trees. The distant echo of blaster fire could be heard from far behind them, the sounds slowly becoming quieter as Sinker led the droids away from the fortress.

"Sinker, what's your status," Wolffe whispered.

"We've gotten them to follow us, sir," he said, heavy breathing filling the comm channel, "They think we're on the run,"

"Good, Boost is awaiting your arrival," 

"Copy that, Commander,"

"We're approaching the back of the fortress," Cody whispered, "Crys, you got a visual on the door?"

"Affirmative," Crys peeked through the treeline, macrobinoculars adorning his visor, "I count at least sixty droids,"

" _Sixty?!_ Most of them should've followed Sinker!" Wolffe hissed.

"Guess we miscalculated. Do you see any of the prisoners?"

Crys looked for a while longer before responding, "I think so. There are a few blue markings through the window on the third floor,"

"That should be them," Wolffe confirmed, "Let's go," 

"Wait, wait, wait, we can't just rush in there without a plan or without cover!" Cody pushed Wolffe back into a crouching position.

"Any bright ideas then?" Wolffe scowled.

"Actually, yes,"

\------------------------------------------------------------

"Fives is gonna give us so much shit for this, vod," Wolffe groaned as he crouched inside the bush beside Cody. 

"Depends on if we can actually get him out, that is," Cody's _brilliant_ idea was to have Crys and the rest of his men distract the dozens of droids, while the two Commanders snuck around them using the cover of a _bush_. 

"I mean we can just leave him-"

"Shhh," Cody hushed him, coming to a stop as they neared the end of the treeline.

"Did you hear that?" A battle droid stepped closer to where the Commanders were stationed. All of a sudden, a loud _boom_ and blaster fire sounded from the rest of their men, still hanging back in the forest. 

"Clones!" Another droid called out, immediately being shot down by a blue bolt. A few dozen of the droids moved to follow their men as they retreated further into the woods. Wolffe nodded at Cody, and they began to shuffle their feet across the dewy grass and into the opening. They stopped after a few feet, not wanting to draw attention to themselves, and continued doing so every few minutes. As they got closer, it became more visible that there were indeed 501st men on the third floor. Wolffe was quite positive that many of them had seen the small bush moving ever closer to the back door, hoping it was indeed someone coming to break them out. 

"Why are you moving so _kriffing_ fast?" Wolffe seethed as he struggled to keep up with Cody's pace.

"I don't know about _you_ , but _I_ want to get to the door sooner than _later_ ," 

"That doesn't mean we have to go at an _absurdly_ fast speed,"

"Oh, just shut up. We're almost there,"

Above them, many of the 501st had gathered close to the window to watch. 

"Who do you think it is?" Fives whispered.

"I don't know, but I'm guessing it's one of the Commanders," Echo responded. The bush disappeared out of view, once Wolffe and Cody had snuck under the cover of the entrance.

"Get this door open," Wolffe gestured to the control panel.

"Are we clear?" 

"Looks like it. The boys did their job well," 

Cody stood out from under the bush, placing a small gray device over top of the panel. He waited until it had cracked the code, then he and Wolffe slipped inside. Shucking the bush, they moved around the halls until they found a lift. 

"Well, it should be relatively easy from here," Wolffe said, pressing the button to open it.

"You just _had_ to say that, didn't you?" Cody groaned as the door opened to reveal a dozen battle droids. 

"Blast 'em!" One of the droids screeched. The Commanders sprang to the side, Wolffe drawing his two DC-17s and Cody unclipping the DC-15S from his belt. They took droids out one by one, dodging bolts as they went. After Cody sent the last one dropping to the ground with a scorch mark right through its head, the two stepped into the empty lift. 

"That was fun," Wolffe smirked under his helmet. 

"That's one way to say it," Cody crossed his arms behind his back, the lift going silent as it ever so slowly rose to the higher levels.

"Why is this damn thing so _slow?_ " 

"Maybe it's waiting for you to shut up," 

"Fuck you, Cody," a small ding sounded, the door gliding open. Wolffe stuck his head out of the lift, looking to the left, then to the right, "Coast is clear, let's go," the two split off, Cody going right, and Wolffe left.

"Commander! Over here!" Someone called to Wolffe from a nearby cell. He rushed over to the door, fumbling with the control panel to the side.

"Stand back," Wolffe commanded, aiming his pistol at the lock, blasting it open. The door slid open with a creak, a few of his brothers slipping out into the hallway beside him. And to Wolffe's dismay, an amused Fives sat lounging on the floor, a sly smirk plastered to his face, " _What?_ "

"You got a little something," Fives gestured to the leaves that had gotten stuck on Wolffe's viewfinder. The Commander quickly brushed away the stray remains of the bush, "It was fun watching you become a bush,"

"Don't make me leave you here," Wolffe pulled Fives up by his hand, "Where's Rex?" 

"Not sure. He got split up from the rest of us,"

"Cody, come in," Wolffe pressed his comm.

"I copy, Wolffe,"

"I found some here, any luck on your side?"

"Yeah, we're making our way towards you,"

"You find Rex?"

"Affirmative. He's fine. We'll pick up some blasters an explosives on our way," Cody closed the comm.

Wolffe turned to Fives, "Let's free the rest and get the hell out of here,"

\-------------------------------------------------------------

"Is that everyone?" Cody said to Rex.

"Yes, now let's get back to base before more droids show up," Rex ducked, barely missing the red bolt aimed at his head.

"Hey guys, look what I have," Fives dangled a detonator in his fingers.

"What did you do?" Rex murmured.

"Don't sound so unhappy; I placed explosives throughout the entire base,"

"You di'kut, you're brilliant," Rex beamed as Fives pressed the button, the structure exploding into an array of colors.

"Oh, I know. Not as brilliant as the bush Commanders, though,"

"The hell did you just call me?!"Wolffe swiveled around, pointing a finger at the ARC.

"Looks like someone's mad,"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	79. All-You-Can-Eat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So I have a headcanon that Ahsoka can consume an absurd amount of food so that's basically what I wrote

"How the hell do you _eat_ so much?" Fives exclaimed as he watched Ahsoka down nuna leg after nuna leg. The 501st was planetside again, and that meant it was time for late-night trips into the streets of Coruscant for the padawan and ARC trooper. The cantina they passed almost every time they snuck out was having a special deal for all-you-can-eat fried nuna legs. The two barely had to share a glance before they knew it was what they were going to do for the night. 

"I don't know," Ahsoka muffled between bites, "Might be a togruta thing," she dropped a clean bone on the side of her plate, reaching for the next.

"Huh. And I thought _I_ had a big appetite," Fives chuckled as he to picked up another leg. He was quite impressed by the young Jedi's ability to consume an _unreasonable_ amount of food in such a short period of time. They had occasionally had eating competitions back on _The Resolute_ if there were enough ration packs or if someone happened to obtain something special. Ahsoka had always won. Fives supposed she needed it though, with all the flips and acrobatics she did during battle.

"Any idea when we leave?" She took a sip of her water.

"No, but I'm sure Cap'll tell us sometime tomorrow. He always seems to be on top of things,"

"Well, he is the _Captain_ ,"

"Fair point, but he needs a break. Don't think anyone in the entire GAR has stiffer shoulders than he does," Fives laughed.

"We should bring him out with us sometime,"

"Are you kidding? He would never come with us,"

"I think he would if he had enough convincing," 

"I don't know. He probably wouldn't approve of most of the stuff we do,"

"You're saying he wouldn't approve of us having all-you-can-eat nuna legs?" Ahsoka raised an eye marking.

"Maybe he would, maybe he wouldn't, who knows,"

"I don't think he's that much of a stick in the mud,"

"You'd be surprised,"

"Changing the subject, I'm getting more nuna, do you want some?" Ahsoka stood, scooping up her plate of bones.

"No, no, I'm stuffed," Fives patted his belly.

"Alright, I'll be back,"

"Kriffing hell," Fives let out a deep groan once Ahsoka was out of earshot, knowing he had eaten _way_ too much trying to keep up with her. His blacks and armor felt too damn tight over his stomach.

"You ok there?" Ahsoka was back with a _full_ plate of nuna legs.

"Yeah, I just think my stomach might explode,"

"Couldn't be me," she smirked, diving into her fresh pile.

Fives grimaced and leaned back into his chair, "I don't think I'm going to need to eat for at _least_ three days,"


	80. Haircuts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A request from @JediKnightRubyAndClones for something with Tup's hair :)
> 
> I hc that Tup likes to braid his hair lmao

"We better get moving," Echo stood and made for the door.

"What, where are you going?" Ahsoka watched as they all followed Echo towards the door.

"You don't know?" Fives turned to her.

"No,"

"Oh, well, it's haircut day," he grinned, running a hand through his grown-out locks, "You can come if you want,"

\-----------------------------------------------

"Wait, you guys have to _cut_ it?!" Ahsoka watched, horrified, as Kix gently guided the electronic razor against the nape of Fives' neck.

"Yeah, it grows," Fives explained.

" _What?_ " 

"You didn't know that?"

"No, I don't _have_ hair, di'kut," Ahsoka rolled her eyes, "Does it hurt?"

"No, there's no nerves," Kix picked up a pair of thin scissors and a comb and began cutting away at Fives' dark hair.

"Oh," Ahsoka relaxed a little, knowing that what they were doing wouldn't hurt.

"Tup, you're next," Kix gave a final swipe over Fives' head, then pushed him off the chair.

"Damn, I'm getting up," Fives stumbled over to a nearby supply crate.

"What do you do with long hair?" Ahsoka fiddled with the soft strands of Tup's hair. 

"Just cut the ends a few inches," Kix took a few pieces of hair between his fingers and began snipping away at them, "Gets rid of the split ends,"

"Split ends?"

"It's when an individual strand of hair splits into two separate strands at the end,"

"Oh, ok," Ahsoka observed as Kix continued to take small sections of hair and clip off the bottoms. 

"There, all done, vod," 

"Thanks, Kix," Tup gripped either side of the chair, pushing himself out of it and walking over to join the rest of his brothers.

"You let _him_ up easy, why'd you have to push me out of the kriffing chair, huh?" Fives demanded.

"Get over it," Kix huffed, gesturing for whoever was next in line to come sit in the chair. Ahsoka followed Tup over to where he sat on the floor, folding his hair in some sort of odd way.

"What are you doing with it?" Ahsoka cocked her head.

"Oh, I'm just braiding it, Commander," Tup gave her a soft smile. Braiding gave him something to do in his spare time, kept his hair out of his face, and he had to admit; he liked the way it looked.

"Can I try?" 

"Might take some practice, but sure," Tup turned around, his back to Ahsoka, "So, to start, you want to split it up into three even sections.

"Uh-huh," she fumbled with his hair, eventually figuring it out.

"Then, take the left side and cross it over the middle, but not over the right one," 

"Ok,"

"Then you repeat the same thing with the other side. Take the right and cross it over the one that's now in the middle,"

"I think I got it," Ahsoka continued the pattern, laying each strand over the other.

"Make sure to pull it tight, though, it's a little loose," Tup pointed out, Ahsoka immediately tugging the strands tighter.

"Alright, I think I'm done. What do I do with the end of it?" 

"Here, I'll put a hair tie over it," Tup reached out his hand, Ahsoka placing the braid in between his thumb and pointer finger. He looped the small black elastic around the end of his hair, then let it drop onto his shoulder. Tup then reached to his left for the small mirror, and examined Ahsoka's work, "Doesn't look too bad for your first try," 

"Thanks, though there's a few pieces sticking out," 

"Yeah, that happens," Tup ran his fingers over the delicate braid, "Thanks, Commander,"

"Anytime," Ahsoka flashed him a smile, "You know," she turned to look at Fives, "I wonder if I can braid _his_ hair,"

"I don't know; his hair's too short,"

"I can make a bunch of tiny braids," Ahsoka giggled, "Hey, Fives?!"

"Yeah, Commander?" He stopped mid-speech to look over his shoulder.

"Can I braid your hair?" The look on his face was pure terror.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	81. Karaoke and Blackmail Pt.1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A request from @Olivia for some karaoke and a drunk Wolffe
> 
> The song I used is San Francisco by The Mowgli's so you've now been exposed to my love for indie music (go check it out it's really good)
> 
> This is part one, so hopefully, within the next couple of days, I'll have a part two out :)

"79's?" Fives didn't wait for the group to answer as he locked elbows with Echo on one side and Jesse on the other. 

"Don't think we have a choice," Echo huffed as he was practically dragged through the hallway. 

"I think it's karaoke night too," Fives grinned.

"Kriffing hell, not again," Echo moaned as the three of them stepped into a taxi.

"Give 'em a few drinks, and he'll be fine," Jesse whispered into Fives' ear.

"Yeah, that's pretty much the plan," Fives snickered.

"I know you two are talking about me; you're terrible whisperers," Echo pressed himself up against the door of the taxi, gazing out at the bustling streets of Coruscant.

"Doesn't mean it's not going to happen," Jesse chuckled.

"You're unbelievable,"

\---------------------------------------------------------

The second they stepped into the bar, the deafening music blurred out any noise from the street, the beat thumping through their bodies. Tonight was packed to the brim with clones and civilians alike, and Fives was indeed correct: tonight was karaoke night.

"Come on boys; I see an open booth over here," Fives walked hand in hand with the other two, towing them to the back of the bar, pushing them into the booth, "You two stay, I'll get drinks," the ARC left Echo to sulk and Jesse to jump straight into conversation with someone sitting in the booth across from them. Fives returned, swaying to the music, three glasses of beer in his hands. He slid into the booth beside Echo, sloppily placing the glasses on the table.

"Couldn't you have been a little more _careful_?" Echo groaned, a few droplets of the honey gold liquid dripping onto his armor.

"Suck it up, Echo," Fives chased his giggle with a long sip of his beer, wiping his mouth on the back of his hand after he slammed the glass on the table. 

After finishing their first round of drinks, Fives instantly pulled them into the middle of the crowded bar, forcing them to dance to whatever song someone was singing along to. The trio gripped each other's hands and swayed to the upbeat tempo of the music, song after song, till each one was over, then giving the singer a round-of-applause. 

"I think we should go sit down, I'm-" Echo was interrupted by Fives' sharp gasp as if someone had thrown a punch right to his gut, "Wha-"

" _LOOK_ ," Fives jabbed his finger towards the person up next to sing, " _IT'S WOLFFE,_ "

"No, no, no, that's _impossible_ , there's no _way_ he'd do anything like this," Jesse stared in awe at the Commander, who was _clearly_ drunk beyond _reason_ , a gleeful smile spread wide across his face, "And why the hell is he _smiling?!_ It just looks wrong,"

"You don't think he's going to sing, do you?" Echo asked cautiously.

"Oh, he better. This might be the greatest night of my life," Fives chuckled, another upbeat melody flooding the room, "Echo, you have a datapad on you, right?"

"I mean, always-"

"Hand it over, vod," Fives held out his open palm as Echo rummaged around in his utility belt, "Come on, quick, I wanna get the whole thing,"

"Be _patient_ , will you?" Echo hissed, finally managing to find the datapad stowed away in his belt, handing it over to Fives. He scrambled to find the record button, hitting it as fast as he could, aiming the camera up at the Commander.

_I've been in love with love_

_And the idea of something binding us together_

_You know that love is strong enough_

_I've seen time tell tales about that systematic drug_

_Yeah, that heart that beats as one_

_It's collectively, unconsciously, composed_

Wolffe's once gruff voice was now soothed over by what had to be far too much alcohol and replaced with a smooth and melodic pitch that hit every note just perfectly. It was something Fives never thought he'd see in his life: Wolffe having fun, let alone singing in front of the entirety of 79's. He had to admit he rather missed the other Wolffe in all his grouchiness, but this was a nice change. 

"This is going to give me _so_ much leverage," Fives whispered as he danced to Wolffe's beautiful voice.

"What are you planning this time?" Echo sighed.

"Oh, you just wait and see," Fives had already come up with an elaborate scheme to use this "special" footage of Wolffe for as an advantage for whatever he might need from the Commander.

"You're gonna blackmail him, aren't you?" Jesse smiled next to him.

"Well, I wouldn't put it _that_ way,"

"But it's what you're gonna do, right?"

Fives caved in, "Yeah, pretty much,"

_Do you feel the love, I feel the love_

_Come on, come on_

_Let it pour out of your soul..._

\-------------------------------------------------------------------

**The Next Day**

"Hey, Commander," Fives waltzed into the fresher with his usual grin.

"The hell do _you_ want, Fives?" Wolffe looked at him through the mirror, his grip around the edge of the sink tightening with every step the ARC took.

"Oh, nothing, I just have a little, uh... proposition,"

"Spit it out, then, will you,"

"I'm not sure if you remember it, but last night was quite a rememberable one," Fives pulled out the datapad and hit play on the recording, Wolffe's blissed-out voice echoing throughout the fresher.

"Delete that-" Wolffe lunged for the datapad.

"Hey, hey, hey, there's no need for that. I'll delete it under one condition,"

"Oh, fuck, here we go," 

"You have to do something with me, may it be a prank, or a favor, most likely a prank, but no matter what you have to do it,"

"Like hell, I'm doing anything with you,"

"Or, I can share it with uh, well, with everyone,"

"I'm sure anyone else who was there has already talked about it, so you're not really _threatening_ me here," 

"That's the thing, no one else who was there has said a thing about it. Of course, they will when I say so,"

"You're bluffing, there's no way you could have that kind of control over that many people," Wolffe crossed his arms and leaned pressed his back against the sink.

"No, I'm not, Commander, I have my ways," Fives picked at his nails, bored with the conversation they were having, "I'm not going to offer it again, so-"

"Fine," Wolffe hissed.

"What was that?" A newfound smile began to spread across Fives' face.

"I'll do whatever the hell it is you want me to do with you,"

"Wonderful,"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	82. A Visit to Naboo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just me writing more of the AU where Anakin doesn't turn and everything is great :)

Sunlight trickled through the small window in Ahsoka's room, illuminating the pale yellow sheets adorning her bed. For once, she didn't have to wake at the sound of her alarm and immediately rush to a briefing she could just lay still and listen to the birds sing their ancient melodies. And occasionally listen to Fives rambling to Jesse as they went on a morning walk. The town began to stir, the light voices of children carrying throughout the streets, and speeders in the distance. Today was a big day: it was that time of the month where the group of them would travel to Naboo to check up on Anakin and his family. The last time they had gone, Luke and Leia had started learning to walk, the evidence of pride gleaming in Anakin's eyes like a bonfire: it was the sight of a father who couldn't be happier. Of course, Fives had thought it funny to teach little Leia Mando'a curses and the girl hadn't stopped saying them since. She was going to grow up to become a lot like her father. Luke, on the other hand, was quieter than his sister, preferring to watch everyone with wide eyes. The twins were a delight to be around, Mando'a curses and all, and Ahsoka couldn't wait to see them again.

\----------------------------------------------------------------

"Morning, you guys," Ahsoka gave a quick knock on the door, alerting her friends of her presence, then turned the knob and let herself in.

"I see someone slept in," Rex chuckled from the kitchen table where he sat pouring an absurd amount of syrup over his pancakes. Echo, gave her a quick smile before returning to his own breakfast.

"Yeah, I needed it," Ahsoka made her way over to where Cody stood at the stove, an apron covering his worn shirt and pants, flipping pancakes like it was his kriffing _job_ , "Got any meat?"

"Course I do, you think I'd forget about you?" Cody laughed, gesturing to the steaming plate of roasted nerf on the other side of the counter.

"Just making sure you didn't," Ahsoka scooped up her plate, then poured a glass of water and plopped herself down next to Rex, "When's the transport leaving?" 

"2:30, so we still have some time," Rex said between mouthfuls of pancake, "I can't wait to see them,"

"Me too-"

"Morning everyone!" Fives sounded from the open front door, "You got any spare pancakes, Cody?" He waltzed himself over to the table, Jesse close behind him, and sat down, picking up his fork and knife, ready to dig in.

"Unfortunately, yes," Cody set down a steaming plate of pancakes in front of Fives, the former ARC devouring it like he hadn't eaten in weeks.

"Fffthanks," Fives muffled, his mouth stuffed to the brim.

"Where's Kix?" Ahsoka moved to the sink to rinse her plate and glass out.

"Went into town, said he was gonna get something for the babies, he should be back soon," Rex told her, "Speaking of which," he heard sets of footsteps climbing up the steps outside the house.

"Do I smell pancakes?" Kix sniffed the air.

"Indeed you do," Cody handed him a plate.

"What'd you get for the kids?" Ahsoka returned to the table.

"A set of wooden hand-carved ships. I've been seeing them in the window of that shop in the market for days, and I knew it would make for a good gift,"

"That's sweet, I'm sure they'll love it," she grinned.

"Yeah, me too. Damn, I just can't wait to see them,"

\-----------------------------------------------------------------

**Naboo**

"Padme! It's so good to see you!" Ahsoka wrapped the woman in a tight hug, pulling away only to glance at the man standing behind her holding his two children, "Good to see you too, Skyguy,"

"Likewise, Snips. Luke and Leia were pretty excited earlier today when they found out their Auntie Ahsoka was coming to visit," Anakin gave her his usual sideways smirk. Rex, Cody, Fives, and the rest of the group gathered around, sharing hugs and greetings, especially to the twins.

"Hello, little Leia," Fives cooed to the baby girl, taking her from Ahsoka's arms.

"Fi-es," the girl could barely get his name out.

"That's right it's your favorite uncle, Fives," 

"Fi-es," Leia giggled as she reached up to pull at his hair, "Di-kut," the girl let out a beautiful string of laughter.

"Yes, that's my good girl; I'm so proud of you! You said it perfectly!" Fives grasped the girl tighter as his heart swelled with satisfaction at the fact that Anakin was not pleased with him teaching his daughter those kinds of words. 

"Hand, her over, Fives, before you teach her anything else," Anakin chuckled, reaching for her.

"I've already done my part. I'll see you later, little Leia," he waved to the girl as she was hauled away by her father.

"It's so good to see you all," Padme smiled at the seven of them, "Let's go sit down, I'm sure we all have _loads_ of stories to tell,"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!


	83. Sledding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just a tiny one shot of some sledding :)

"Who volunteers to sacrifice their chest plate?" Fives looked at the group surrounding him. They all stood atop a high hill, snow gently blowing through the air, "Come on, don't be shy," not a word was spoken, everyone avoiding eye contact with the ARC, "Alright, that does it, we're voting. Hands up for Echo," a few hands raised. He continued calling out names, many troopers unclipping their chest plates begrudgingly, "And me," Fives pointed at himself, every hand darting up, "Yeah, I had that coming,"

"You sure you've done this before?" Ahsoka asked, pulling her hood further over her montrals.

"Yeah, once or twice. It's fun, trust me," Fives assured her. Those who were forced to shed their chest plates, set them down against the snow, sitting cross-legged over the piece of plastoid, "Just hold on tight," he sat down, ushering Ahsoka to sit behind him. She wrapped her arms tightly around his middle, pressing her numb cheek against the warmth of his back, "Everyone ready?" Fives received nods and thumbs-up from the others beside him, "3, 2, 1, go!" He dug his gloved hands into the snow, pushing off hard, sending him and Ahsoka flying down the hill. Ahsoka only gripped him tighter and let out a string of screams and giggles as their makeshift sled raced to the bottom.

"Get ready, Commander!" Fives yelled at her through the snow as it whistled past them.

"Ready for wha-" the two hit a small bump near the bottom of the hill, sending them flying into the snowbanks. Ahsoka squealed as she landed on her back, and as for Fives, he didn't make a sound, "You doin' ok over there?" Ahsoka watched as he tried to push his submerged head out from under the snow. 

"Mmmmfff," he popped his head out, stumbling back into the hill, "Yeah, I'm good," Ahsoka giggled as she spread her arms and legs out, making snow angels. She stuck her tongue out, catching the snowflakes as they fell gently against her face and gazed out into the endless gray sky, wishing life could be like this all the time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	84. Karaoke and Blackmail Pt.2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Part 2, but I deadass couldn't think of anything for this so I did my best :|
> 
> Might or might not be a part 3, I'm not sure

"Stop your brooding, will you?" Fives paced beside Wolffe in the empty barracks.

"Well, you wanted me here, so I suppose this is what you get," Wolffe huffed, "And I don't think pacing is going to help,"

"I just can't think," Fives smacked a palm across his forehead, "All the other times I've tried to think of prank ideas, I came up with one in no time, and now I'm blanking!"

"Guess your luck ran out,"

"It didn't,"

"Yes, it did,"

"No,"

"Yes," 

"This is getting off-topic," Fives glared at the Commander.

"Doesn't mean it's not true,"

"Shut up,"

"It's true,"

" _No_ ," 

"Well, since you can't think of anything, and I'm sitting here doing nothing, then I'm leaving," Wolffe stood, stretching his neck from side to side.

"No, I need your help," Fives put a hand on his chest and shoved him back onto the bunk, "Give me an idea,"

"Give you an idea?"

"Yes, you're somewhat creative, come up with something,"

"That's all you want me to do?"

" _Yes_ , now _do it_ ," Fives urged.

"Why don't you go lock Rex in his room or something, it'll help him relax," Wolffe grinned and stood again, pushing past Fives.

"Wha- where are you going?" 

"Back to my quarters so I can do my _work_ ,"

"You didn't do me a favor!"

"Uh, yeah, I did, I gave you an idea, di'kut," Wolffe chuckled, satisfied that he'd finally found a way to _somewhat_ outsmart the ARC.

" _You_ -"

"You said that was all I had to do. And I _gave_ you an idea, so I fulfilled your favor, and now you delete the video," Wolffe turned to face him.

"That's not fair-"

" _Delete it_ ,"

" _Fine_ , but just know you're not getting away with this," Fives pulled out the datapad, hovering his finger over the video.

"I already have,"

"We'll see, Commander," Fives watched as the door slid shut behind Wolffe, then proceeded to leave the video on the datapad, "We'll see,"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	85. The Group Chat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A request from @JediKnightRubyAndClones for a chat fic :)
> 
> Poor Rex can't get a break smh

*Fives added Jesse, Echo, Kix, and The Captain to the conversation*

** Fives ** : guys we need a name for the group chat

** Echo ** : No, we don't.

** Fives ** : are you kidding me, every chat needs a name

*Jesse named the conversation "501st Type Shit"*

** Echo ** : No, we're not naming it that.

*Echo named the conversation "501"*

** Fives ** : crap-ass name, vod

** Jesse ** : mine was better

** Kix ** : what are you guys doing up this late?

** Echo ** : Fives thought it would be fun to make a group chat.

** Kix ** : oh

** Fives ** : echo why the hell do you put periods in your texts, that's not right

** Echo ** : It's proper grammar.

** Fives ** : n o

** The Captain ** : can you kriffing di'kuts shut the fuck up I'm trying to fucking s l e e p

** Fives ** : 😳

** The Captain ** : I swear, I can't even get five minutes of sleep with you four

** Fives ** : cap, just put the chat on mute

** The Captain ** : bold of you to assume I know how to do that. All of you just go to bed

** Jesse ** : but I'm not tired

** The Captain ** : I don't care just s h u t t h e f u c k u p and go to sleep

** Fives ** : oop😬

** Echo ** : Sorry, Captain.

** Fives ** : guys i have the perfect name

*Fives named the conversation "Four Di'kuts, One Captain"*

** Jesse ** : YES

** Kix ** : it's wonderful

** Echo ** : You're all going to be the death of me.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading, friends!


	86. The Commander's Ailment

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A request from @Phoebe for a sick Ahsoka and the boys taking care of her :)
> 
> To the people in the comments who requested some fivesoka content, I posted a little fic if you want to check that out :)

"You feeling alright, Snips?" Anakin watched as Ahsoka repeatedly sneezed into a tissue.

"Yeah, it's probably just allergies or something," she sniffled, rubbing her flushed nose.

"I don't know; it looks worse than that. Why don't you just go to bed early, get a good nights sleep and see how you feel in the morning," Anakin patted her on the shoulder, "We don't need you getting sick on us,"

Ahsoka wanted to protest her Master's request, for there was still work to be done, but she had to admit: a few extra hours of sleep sounded like paradise right now.

"I guess it wouldn't hurt. I'll see you in the morning, Skyguy," Ahsoka gave him a short wave as she parted ways with her Master.

"Sleep well, my Padawan,"

Ahsoka's head throbbed in time with every step she took down the hallway to her room, the pulse hammering against the front of her skull. It wasn't uncommon for her to get irritated by the dust wandering around the ship, but this was much more than just a runny nose. Her head hurt, her throat ached, and her eyes felt as if they'd been open for three days straight. Ahsoka was hoping a hot shower and some decent shut-eye would cure whatever head cold she had, but only time would tell. 

She arrived at her quarters, keying in her passcode, quickly shucking her clothes and stepping into her fresher. The hot water cleared her nose but didn't seem to stop her relentless headache. After chugging two full glasses of water and slipping into a clean set sleeping clothes, Ahsoka climbed into bed, pulling the covers up under her chin, and settled in for the night.

\------------------------------------------------------------

Ahsoka woke to the sound of her Chrono alarm ringing violently in her montral, stirring her from a deep slumber. She groaned, wetting her parched mouth, for it had been open all night because of her inability to breathe through her nose. She swallowed and grimaced at the sharp pain in the back of her throat as she turned her alarm off and crawled back under the covers. Sleep claimed her as quickly as the Chrono had woken her.

\---------------------------------------------------------------

"Ahsoka?" Anakin rapped on her door, wondering why she hadn't shown up to the morning briefing or even commed him to say she wasn't coming, " _Ahsoka!_ " He waited another minute filled with no response from his padawan, "Ahsoka, I'm coming in," Anakin keyed in her passcode, eyes immediately drawn to the small shape curled up in blankets in the middle of the bed. The outline of her montrals shivered, as did the rest of her body underneath the thin sheets. Anakin rushed over to her, gently patting her shoulder to wake her, "Hey, you ok, Snips?" She groaned and gently pulled back the covers.

"I don't feel so good, Skyguy," Ahsoka's face was flushed a deep orange, and two dark circles underlined each of her eyes.

Anakin pressed his hand to her forehead, feeling the stark heat that seeped through his glove and onto his palm, "You're burning up, Snips. Lemme get you some water, and I'll comm Kix," he stood up from the edge of her bed, grabbing the cup off of her nightstand and proceeded to fill it up with water from her fresher. He returned with a damp cloth as well, holding it against her face as she leaned back against the pillows, "Kix,"

"Yes, General?" The medic responded.

"I need you down here in Ahsoka's quarters immediately; she's burning up with a fever," Anakin said as he wiped away the sweat pooling around Ahsoka's temple.

"I'll be right there, sir," Kix replied.

"Kix will be here soon, and you'll be better in no time, alright, Snips?" 

"Yeah, that sounds good," she murmured faintly, the door to her room sliding open with a hiss as Kix stepped in.

"How's she feeling?" Kix asked, pulling a thermometer out from the small bag he brought with him.

"Not good, apparently. That's all she told me," Anakin responded gruffly.

"Commander, can you sit up, please," Kix watched as she pushed herself off of the bed, eyes half-open. He placed the small nub of the thermometer in her ear, waiting for the machine to ding. Once it did, he pulled it out and looked at the temperature, "She's got a fever of 101.3. There's no medicine I can give her to help bring it down, but she'll need to drink a lot of fluids and rest," Kix then pulled out a small flashlight, "Can you open your mouth and stick your tongue out, please?" Ahsoka did as asked, and he shined the light into her throat, "Sore throat as well, I'm guessing?" He looked at her for confirmation, and she nodded, "You can gargle some salt water a few times a day, and that will help with it,"

"There anything else?" Ahsoka whimpered.

"Nothing really, just drink a lot of water and get a lot of rest,"

"But-"

"Medic's orders,"

Ahsoka sighed, slumping back down onto her bed, knowing that in times of injury or illness, medics outranked everyone, so there was no use in fighting him.

"Keep your comm close and let me know if anything worsens drastically. I'll check back in a couple of hours. We should get going, General," Kix stood along with Anakin, neither one really wanting to leave her bedside, but alas, there was still a war to win.

"I'll see you later, Snips," Anakin said to her as a walked out the door, knowing that she had already fallen asleep again.

\--------------------------------------------------------------

Ahsoka woke, yet again, to a knocking at her door, but this time instead of her Master, it was her favorite group of armor-clad di'kuts.

"Hey, kid, how you holding up?" Rex grinned down at her.

"Not too bad," she shifted under her covers, "Could you get me some water, please?" Ahsoka pointed to the empty cup on her nightstand.

"Yeah, 'course," Rex went to fill up the glass while Fives kneeled beside her with a small napkin filled with some sort of freshly baked pastry.

"I stole a couple of Cody's muffins for you," Fives flashed his usual devious grin as he unwrapped the napkin, two of the Marshal Commander's famous muffins just waiting to be devoured.

"Thanks," Ahsoka smiled, gingerly picking up one of the muffins and taking a bite out of it, "S'good," she mumbled through her full mouth.

"Hey, Commander," Echo mumbled, setting a small container on the edge of her bed, "The boys send their wishes and sweets," he dangled a piece of chocolate between his fingers then set it back into the box. 

"Thanks, Echo, but you guys didn't have to do this,"

"Oh no, we did, it's routine," Rex returned with Ahsoka's glass of water, "And you know that," 

Ahsoka rolled her eyes, knowing she won't be able to refuse their gifts, "Well, I'm feeling better already, thanks to all of you,"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	87. Vines Pt.2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> here's another vine one because I stayed up way too late playing Minecraft and didn't have time to write anything so yeah

Fives: *trying to hit Jesse with a pillow*  
Echo: Fives, don't, Fives, Fives watch the light dude  
Jesse: *points to the light*  
Fives: *pauses*  
Fives: *proceeds to hit Jesse and break the light*

  
Obi-Wan: hey, could you throw me another caprisun  
Anakin:  
Anakin: *throws giant ass gallon of caprisun at Obi-Wan's face*

  
Dogma: that is not correct because according to the encyclopedia of flflplplskjdjkjdj

  
Fives: how do you know what's good for me?  
Kix: THAT'S MY OPINION  
Rex:  
Anakin:

  
Fives: people always ask me what it's like to be a sexy-  
Fives: *falls and hits head*

  
Obi-Wan: do you ever like wake up, or like do something  
Obi-Wan: and you're just like what the hel-  
Obi-Wan: fuck is going on?

  
Fives: hey kid want some blades? *reveals coat containing dozens of knives*  
Dogma: nooo, blades are for skatin'  
Dogma: *roller blades magically appear on his feet*  
Dogma: ya dingus  
Fives:  
Dogma: *proceeds to rollerblade*  
Dogma: it's kinda snowy

  
Fives: *falls through the ceiling*  
Jesse: hey Fives  
Fives: hi Jesse

  
Rex: hey kids, kids,  
Rex: FIVESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS  
Fives:  
Echo:  
Kix:  
Jesse:  
Rex: honey, can you be quiet, I'm just tryna do something

*Rex and Cody sitting in a hot tub*  
Fives: two bros, chillin in a hot tub, five feet apart cause they're not gay

  
Rex: Hardcase can you read number 23 for the class?  
Hardcase: no I cannot  
Hardcase: whattup I'm hardcase, I'm 19 and I never fuckin learned how to read

  
Echo: today my brother pushed me so I'm starting a kickstarter to put him down  
Fives:  
Echo: the benefits of killing him is that I would be pushed way less

  
Anakin: when I was 16 years old I tried to kill myself  
*people clapping*

  
The Entire Wolfpack: you are my daaaaad, you're my dad!  
Plo Koon:  
The Entire Wolfpack: boogie woogie woogie

  
The Banking Clan: play this, and you get 100 million credits, but 100 million people will die  
The Senate: *enthusiastically plays the harmonica*

  
Rex: *smashing two pans together* I DON'T GET NO SLEEP CAUSE OF Y'ALL  
The Entire 501st:   
Rex: Y'ALL NOT GON GET NO SLEEP CAUSE OF MEEEEE

  
Obi-Wan: two shots of vodka  
Anakin:  
Ahsoka:

  
Dogma: I don't need friends they disappoint me

  
Obi-Wan: there's only one thing worse than a rapist  
Obi-Wan: *rips off paper*  
Obi-Wan: boom  
Anakin: a child  
Obi-Wan: nO

  
*Anakin, Obi-Wan, and Ahsoka meditating*  
Anakin: release all of the sounds trapped inside your head  
Obi-Wan: *screams*

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks for reading y'all


	88. The Dog and the Muffins

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A request from @JediKnightRubyAndClones
> 
> ah, the poor muffin man is always getting his muffins eaten
> 
> Also, I wanted to give you guys a little warning in advance, and that's that I potentially may be taking a break from writing one-shots every day once school starts back up again, so I may resort to doing them every other day, every few days, etc. School for me doesn't start for another two weeks so it won't be happening too soon, I just wanted to let you guys know :)

"The _hell_ are you doing with a dog in here?!" Echo hissed at Fives, who was pinned to his bed by the small brown dog, licking away at his face.

"I found him when I was out," Fives couldn't help but giggle as they dog licked up his cheek, "He was following me,"

"So, you decided to bring him into the kriffing _barracks!?_ " Echo sighed.

"Well, I couldn't just _leave_ him out on the streets now, could I?" Fives pouted up at the dog, "I can't leave a cute little doggy like you, huh? No, I couldn't," he cooed.

"You're a dead man when Rex finds out,"

" _Rex_ isn't going to find out _anything_ ,"

"Oh yeah? What's your _master plan,_ then?" Echo quirked an eyebrow as he sat down beside his batchmate, the dog padding over to sniff his armor.

"I'm gonna put him in the empty closet near the kitchen. No one ever goes in there. I'll put some blankets in the corner, a bowl with some water, and boom! Perfect hiding spot," Fives flashed his brother a grin, rubbing the dog's back.

"Fine, but I'm not helping you," Echo crossed his arms and averted his gaze from Fives', "No, don't give me that look," he didn't even need to be looking at Fives' face to know an amusing smirk had crept its way across his lips, "I'm _not_ helping you,"

\------------------------------------------------------------

"I can't believe I'm helping you," Echo groaned as he spread an extra blanket onto the floor of the supply closet.

"You can't escape the inevitable," Fives shrugged, filling up a small bowl for the dog who had since been named Louis, "Alright, buddy," he gently patted Louis' head and gestured for him to get into the closet, "We gotta get going, but I'll come by in the morning and give you some food," the dog only sat and stared at the ARCs with his tongue hanging out of his mouth, "Ok, sounds good,"

"Let's go, Fives," Echo stepped out of the closet, closing the door as Fives stepped out behind him.

"He'll be ok, right?"

"Yeah, vod, he'll be fine,"

\---------------------------------------------------------------

"Echo, where the hell is Louis?" 

"What do you _mean,_ where is he?" 

"He's not here," Fives ruffled the blankets on the floor of the supply closet, the small space leaving no trace of Louis, "He got out somehow,"

"You've got to be kriffing kidding me," Echo groaned, "Move over, let me see," he pushed Fives to the side and took a look in the closet, just to make sure his idiot brother wasn't missing anything, "Yeah, he's gone,"

"We've already established that,"

"I just had to make sure,"

"Uh-huh,"

"Well, you gotta find him before someone reports a random dog wandering around to the Captain,"

" _I_ have to find him? You helped me put him in here," Fives pointed to the closet.

"Woah, woah, woah, this whole thing was _your_ idea," Echo countered.

"Yeah, but you helped me execute it," 

"I-" Echo was interrupted by a blatant crash from the nearby kitchen, "Could that be-"

"Yeah," Fives tugged him over to the kitchen, slamming his palm over the control panel, the door sliding open to reveal Louis' droopy face staring back at them. His jowls were covered in crumbs: a trail of the brown pieces leading to the container of Cody's muffins that had clattered to the ground when Louis pulled it off of the counter, "Shit," 

"This just got ten times worse now that Cody's involved,"

"Yeah, vod, thanks for stating the obvious," Fives took a knee, coming eye to eye with Louis, "That was not a smart decision on your part," the dog only stared back at him with wide eyes, licking the excess crumbs off of his nose.

"What, exactly, am I looking at?" The door slid open, a weary Rex almost stumbling over Echo. Fives opened his mouth to explain, "You know what, nope. Don't tell me; I don't care. As long as it's out by the end of the day, I'll pretend I didn't see anything," he turned on his heel and wandered back out into the mess hall, "But I can't do anything about Cody," Rex chuckled, "That's your problem now,"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading broskis :)


	89. Brothers Off the Battlefield

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Here is a half-assed, tiny, 229 word, random fic because I could not think of anything to write at 1 in the morning and I just want my boys to be happy

"Echo, go get more blankets," Fives whispered to his brother as he maneuvered multiple bunks into a triangular formation. As usual, something was always going on in the 501st barracks, and in this case, it was a giant fort. Many of them shuffled around, placing pillows here and there and throwing blankets over top of the bunks, then tying them to the durasteel posts, "Take someone with you,"

"Yeah, I'm on it," Echo grabbed Kix, and together the two wandered to a nearby closet in search of more supplies. They returned with armfuls of blankets, which they dumped into the middle of the fort, then proceeded to help toss them over the bed frames. 

After everyone had gathered under the blankets, and small lights had been placed throughout the floor of pillows, stories were shared, and hearty laughs were heard. Snacks were pulled out from under beds or from inside mattresses and passed around from brother to brother. Perhaps even a bottle of liquor from a faraway planet made its way around the circle a few times before being stowed away for another time. The men of the 501st smiled and cracked jokes, getting to know each other even better than they would on the battlefield: no armor, no blasters, no chance of life or death, just a group of brothers proudly sitting under the fort they built together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading this short one guys I had nothin else in me lmfao


	90. What Friends Do

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ahhhh finally got a good one in guys, it's not shit like the last one, I promise 
> 
> A request from @Olivia for Rex getting injured and hiding it. I took a little spin on it cause I've written one before, but same kind of gist
> 
> Love you all and enjoy :)

"Hold the line!" Rex yelled to his brothers fighting valiantly beside him. Mud splattered on his already grimy armor as they moved through the swamp, slowly falling back from the incoming Separatist attack. Tank fire shook the ground, sending piles of debris flying up into the air along with both droids and clones. Rex's commlink clicked on and off with orders, his mind forced into a state filled with a lust for battle. He craved the feeling, yet hated it every minute he felt it, it fueled him to keep going, yet in the darkness of his own quarters, it would be his demise. Now, though, it was the only thing running through his head; coursing through his veins, and _hell_ did it feel good. 

In front of him stood the two Jedi he couldn't trust more in his life: a blur of blue and green through his visor. No matter the situation, the two were bound to think of something, whether he liked it or not, but it always seemed to work out in the end. Usually. And as crazy and wild as they were, there was no one else Rex would trust with his life more than Anakin and Ahsoka. 

"Rex, take some reinforcements to the East side, we're losing ground!" Anakin called over his shoulder. 

"On it, General! Don't have too much fun without me," the Captain chuckled as he commed a few squads of men to move to the East front.

"No promises, Rexster!" Ahsoka grinned.

Rex moved his forces quickly through the dense undergrowth, trailing close behind them when he heard a muffled 'take cover'. His ears picked up the presence of the bomb before his eyes did, the familiar whistling sound coming ever closer before it hit the ground with a low rumble, sending flecks of mud and bucket loads of water flying everywhere. Rex in no way made it out of the blast zone, the impact launching him several feet in the air, gravity pulling him down to land _hard_ on his back. Both his head and his vision throbbed, a dull buzzing sound blocking his ears from any outside sounds. The mud coating the outside of his visor wasn't helping either. He could barely see the faint outlines of other brothers who had been caught in the radius of the blast, lying lifeless in the ankle-deep water. Rex's whole body felt incredibly limp, not a single muscle wanting to work, his battle-high slowly working its way out of him, letting the pain and soreness creep its way back into every bone and tissue of his body. A warm substance he _knew_ was blood trickled down his neck, and he cursed himself for messing up the fresh padding he had recently lined his helmet with. 

All around him, his men slowly began to retreat, blaster bolts whizzing above his head, and bombs falling from the skies. Rex knew there was no way in hell he was standing, so he resorted to the fact that his precious time was finally up. He felt relieved in a scary kind of way, not wanting to go just yet, but knowing it was his duty to lay down his life if need be. The outsides of his vision began to blur, and as if weights were being placed on his eyelids, they slipped shut into peaceful darkness.

"Rex! Stay with me, Rex!" 

_Am I supposed to be hearing my Commander's voice as I die?_

"Rex, come on, I need you to stay with me," Ahsoka released the airlock on his helmet and pulled it off of his blood-painted face: the deep maroon liquid pouring from his ears and nose in steady streams, "Nothing a little bacta won't heal, huh? I need you to wake up, Rex, please," she gently shook his head, causing one of his eyelids to shift open.

"Co-commander?" He coughed out.

"Rex! Thank the _maker_ you're alive,"

"You-you need to go. Get out of here,"

"Nope, I'm not going without you," she hooked an arm under his shoulder and heaved him up with whatever Jedi strength she had left, deflecting blaster bolts as they slowly trudged backward. 

"Commander, I'm slowing you down, just let me go: save yourself,"

"Like hell, I'm doing that Rex, I'm not leaving you to die,"

And that was that. There was no arguing with Ahsoka when she locked in her decision. She was practically pulling Rex across the muddy soil at this point, light groans leaving his mouth as he tried to support some of his own weight. 

"I can't," Rex felt his mind slipping away from him, and as much as he tried to keep himself conscious, he couldn't, "Can't stay awake,"

"I got you, Rex, don't worry," 

Ahsoka's voice was the last thing he heard before darkness clouded his head once more.

\------------------------------------------------------------

"Hey, how are you feeling?" Ahsoka turned in her chair to face Rex, who slowly sat up on one of the white beds lining the med bay.

"Like shit,"

"Yeah, that's fair,"

"How long was out?" Rex brushed a hand over his blond hair.

"Well, from the evac to the base wasn't too long, and they got you in a bacta tank as soon as we landed. You spent overnight in there, and it's been about an hour since you've been out," 

Rex now recognized the stark smell of the bacta that coated his skin, the fume stinging his nose as he took a deep breath.

"Commander, why'd you come back for me?" It was a question that didn't leave him even in unconsciousness that he needed an answer to.

"Because that's what friends do, Rex. We have each other's backs no matter what, right?"

Rex almost scoffed at her cheesy answer, but nonetheless, he knew what she said was true, "Right you are, Commander, right you are,"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	91. The Wolfpacks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Not necessarily a request but an idea from @FernPool for Wolffe and dog (in this case it's a wolf) interaction and I was hella excited to write this and there will be a part 2 :)

"Commander, I'm picking up thermal readings from behind the treeline," Sinker glanced up from his datapad as the Wolfpack slowly trudges through the bioluminescent forest.

"How many?" Wolffe growled, pulling his twin DC-17s out of their holsters.

"Three, four, eight now!" Sinker watched the small orange and red dots hover around the pack, gradually inching closer to them, "They're circling us,"

"Eyes up, and fingers on the trigger," He warned his men, "We've got company," Wolffe scanned the trees, their surroundings far too quiet for his liking. The chirping of crickets ceased as a twig snapped in the distance, stilling every movement of the men. He squinted into the blackness, a pair of glowing yellow eyes meeting his gaze. Wolffe's glare darted from tree to tree, each burning pair of eyes that blinked to life, causing his heart to race even faster under the protective cover of his armor. His stare settled on the set of orbs straight in front of him, the creature's eyes a few shades darker than the others and twice as big. Wolffe didn't back down from a challenge, and he _certainly_ wasn't backing down from whatever the hell was roving this forest. 

"Show yourself," he snarled, pointing his blasters at the being. The creature returned Wolffe's tone, a low growl rumbling through the air as it sauntered closer to the pack. A gray snout slipped out from the shadows; its lips pulled back to reveal rows of long, pointed teeth and protruding canines. A black paw adorned with silver claws landed silently on the grass, the wolf slowly emerging from the portal of swirling darkness. All around the pack, the other wolves began to do the same. Each one bared its teeth, pacing in front of the nervous clones. Each wolf was around the height of the men, but the alpha towered high above them, peering down at Wolffe. The Commander cocked his head, shifting his arms ever so slightly, which elicited a growl from the wolf in front of him. 

"Do we fire, Commander?" Boost whispered beside him, a death grip on his blaster.

"No," Wolffe said coldly, calmly lowering his pistols. He watched the wolf's reaction, the skin of its lips relaxing a bit as it watched him cautiously, "Drop your weapons,"

"What! Are you-"

"I said _drop them_ ," Wolffe let his blasters slip from his grasp and onto the ground, the wolf tracking his movements with a wary eye. All around him, his brothers began to drop their blasters too, a chorus of soft thuds echoing through the trees.

"Wolves," a shiny murmured, clearly amazed by the pack of fascinating creatures that had surrounded them.

"Don't hurt them," Wolffe *warned, "They're a pack too," he carefully broke the seal on his helmet and slid it off, dropping that to the ground as well. The alpha had retracted his gleaming teeth, a sign to the others to back down a bit, and he now intently watched the Commander.

Something in Wolffe told him that the leader of the wolf's pack knew he was the leader of his own. Their duty was to _protect_ their own, and the two knew that of each other. The wolf lightly bowed its head, still keeping eye contact with the Commander, and Wolffe reciprocated the gesture: a sign of respect and acknowledgment. The alpha then eyed his pack, and they all simultaneously turned around and vanished back into the void of the night. The men stood motionless for minutes from shock until Wolffe retrieved his blasters from the ground, his brothers following. 

"That was..." Sinker trailed off.

"Kriffing incredible," Boost finished his sentence with a laugh.

Wolffe smirked as he shoved his helmet back over his head, "Guess we're not the only wolves here,"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!


	92. Truth or Dare

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> a lil truth or dare as requested by @Olivia
> 
> I deeply apologize for the late post lmfao, I was being lazy

"So what the hell are we gonna do? Cause we're not just going to sit around in a circle like a bunch of di'kuts," Wolffe complained, breaking the awkward silence between the seven of them, "Well, _come on_ , we're all commanders, except for Rex, and we can't think of a _single_ thing to do?"

"No need to rub it in," Rex grunted.

"Doing nothing sounds fine to me," Cody leaned back against the wall, the tense muscles in his shoulders slowly relaxing.

"I agree with Cody," Bly announced from the other side of the circle.

"For the _love of-_ " Wolffe ran his hands through his hair, "Can we _please_ do something?!"

"Depends on what that something is," Fox's gruff and sleep-deprived voice mumbled next to him.

"I don't know, cards or truth or dare or _literally anything else_ ,"

"Ooo, truth or dare sounds fun," Ponds sounded as if he had _just_ woken up from a night of eternal sleep. 

"Truth or dare it is, thanks for deciding Ponds," Wolffe rubbed his hands together.

"Wait, what,"

"I'll go first," Wolffe eyed each of his brothers before deciding who he would choose, "Cody,"

The Marshal Commander groaned, "Oh, fuck, here we go,"

"Truth or dare,"

"Truth,"

"Out of all of us, who do you hate the most?"

Cody barely wasted any time finalizing his answer, "You,"

"That's understandable. Your turn now," 

Cody huffed, deciding he would pick someone he knew wouldn't choose dare and make him have to think of something, "Gree, truth, or dare?"

"Truth,"

"Who would you want to switch armor with?"

"None of you, my armor is the best,"

"But say hypothetically, you _had_ to," Cody protested.

"Hypothetically?" Gree quirked an eyebrow.

"Yes,"

"Still none of you,"

"Just pick someone for kriff sake, so I can stop talking, please?"

"Fine, fine," Gree rolled his eyes, "I'd switch with Fox, I guess," the Coruscant Commander couldn't hear him anyway, the poor man propping his head upon his fist as he did a puny job at keeping himself awake, "Ponds, pick one,"

"Dare," 

"Lick the floor," 

"What? No,"

" _Do it_ ," Gree urged. Ponds sneered, lowering his face to the ground and licked a long swipe across the durasteel floor, "See it wasn't that hard now was it?"

"Fuck off," Ponds scoffed, "Wake him up, will you?" He nodded to Wolffe, who gently shook Fox's shoulder.

" _What_ ," Fox slurred, eyes still closed.

"Ponds is asking you truth or dare," Wolffe muttered.

"Oh. Truth, then," 

"What's the _worst_ thing," a grin spread across Ponds' face, "You've ever done,"

"Probably the time I accidentally killed some civvie," Fox said with ease, everyone else watching him with concerned faces, "We don't talk about it, though," he said blandly, "Truth or dare, Rex,"

"Are we just going to _ignore_ the fact that he _accidentally killed someone?!_ " Bly cut in.

"Eh, he said we don't talk about it," Cody mumbled, arms crossed and head propped up against the wall, "So we don't talk about it. Rex, it's your turn, pick one,"

"I'll go dare,"

"I dare you," a sly smirk spread across Fox's face, "To put Fives on tomorrow's mission with Wolffe,"

"This game was a bad idea," Wolffe said under his breath.

"Done," Rex smiled at the unfortunate member of the group who was going to be paired with the chaotic di'kut known as Fives, "Thank you for taking him off of my hands, Wolffe,"

Wolffe gave his signature glare to the Captain, then to the group, "I hate you all," 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	93. The Wolfpacks Pt.2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This takes place directly after the first part :)
> 
> Also Biggie Thanks for the 457 kudos guys, they mean so much <3

"Let's get a move on, boys," Wolffe said gruffly, stirring them from the trance that had settled around them mere minutes ago from the wolves. They had been sent to support Generals Plo and Kenobi on the far side of the capital city. Unfortunately, the Wolfpack had been forced to take the long way since most of the capital was occupied and surrounded by Separatist forces. They couldn't take the risk of potentially compromising their position, for if they failed their mission, Republic forces wouldn't be able to conquer the city in time to help the citizens in need. It was a delicate operation, and should it falter: they'd all wind up dead.

"Do you think they'll come back, sir?" Sinker nudged him on the shoulder.

"I don't know," Wolffe replied, visor still pointed forward, "Just keep an eye out if they do,"

\------------------------------------------------------------------

A few hours passed as they continued to tread through the vivid colors of the jungle planet, bright lights bouncing off the grey and white of their armor. Their radar hadn't picked up any signs of droids, and Wolffe was growing antsy at the ease of this mission. _Nothing_ he'd ever done in his life was this easy. A little meet and greet with wolves, which he had to admit had been mind-boggling and astounding, and a few branches to the head was all that they had encountered. So far.

"Sinker, anything on the radar?" He asked, pushing through a set of low-hanging vines.

"None, sir. We're close to the city, though, only two and a half klicks away," the lieutenant responded, "If we keep this pace up, we'll get there ahead of schedule,"

"Let's not get our hopes up. We still have ground to cover," Wolffe answered. It was a while longer before the Commander started to become overly paranoid, repeatedly asking Sinker if there was anything near them and getting the same response every time: nothing. The chill that ran up and down his spine, decided to remain there permanently as they continued their truck through the forest. 

"Sir, are you alright?" Boost spoke up, Wolffe's shoulders tensing at the sudden question.

"Something's coming," his eyes darted from tree to tree in front of him, chasing a shadow that wasn't there, "I can feel it,"

"Are you sure you're not just paranoid, sir? The scanner's not picking anything up," Sinker said, holding up the datapad to show him.

"I _know_ there's something out there that we're missing," Wolffe continued his path through the trees, Boost and Sinker sharing a concerned look through their visors. 

"If you say so, Commander," Boost shrugged.

" _Droids!_ " Someone shouted from behind their ranks as tank fire shook the ground. Men dove in every direction, hastily readying their blasters to fire back. 

"I kriffing _knew it_ ," Wolffe muttered, drawing his duel pistols, "Sinker, do you have a visual on where they are?"

"Negative. There's nothing on the scanner," Sinker gently hit the side of the device, trying to jolt a reading, but still getting nothing.

"How is that even possible?!" Wolffe groaned, peeking out from behind a tree to fire a few rounds at the incoming droids.

"They must have cloaking tech, or there's something wrong with the scanner,"

Wolffe pushed down his viewfinder, a blue filter filling his visor, "I can't see anything, they must have some sort of tech. We're going into this fight blind,"

The 104th did their best at holding off the enemy, getting quick glimpses here and there of the outline of a tank or a droid. The Separatists began closing in, forcing the men into a smaller and smaller circle. Tank fire blew dirt high into the air, showering them in a hail of fresh soil. Wolffe pushed further towards the fire, trying to get a glimpse of _something_ as he fired into the distance, hoping he at lease hit _one_ droid. The outline of a B-1 battle droid stepped out from the darkness, blaster aimed at the Commander.

It was too late for Wolffe to react as a red bolt hit his bicep straight on, spinning him around, the impact forcing him to hit the ground with a thud and a curse. His helmet rolled off to the side; his sweat covered face and grimy hair hit with the humid air surrounding him as he tried to stand. He heard the impending footsteps of battle droids as they neared him. Wolffe tried and tried to get himself to stand, and with no luck, he slumped to the ground, eyes pinned on the droid only feet from him.

Out of the corner of his eye, a blur of gray and black lept into the air, crushing half a dozen droids under its paws, saving him from certain death. The wolves had returned. The alpha glimpsed at Wolffe, yellow eyes burning with blood lust, then let out a howl: calling his brothers and sisters to join him. The Commander took that as his cue to push himself up onto his knees with his good arm, wipe the sweat and dirt from his forehead, and fight. Wolffe rejoined his brothers, watching and firing as the wolves plowed through lines and lines of droids. 

"You holdin' up all right, Commander?" Boost nodded to Wolffe's injured arm.

"Never better, Boost," A feral grin spread across his face.

When the blaster fire ceased, and the wolves had no more droids to smash, they knew they had won. The wolves, both animal, and clone, slowly walked to the ridge to peer down at the ongoing battle between the Separatists and the two Jedi Generals. The alpha trudged up behind Wolffe, carrying his helmet between his teeth and gently nudged the Commander's back.

Wolffe turned to face the animal, a smile tugging at his lips as he looked up at him, "Thank you," he took his helmet back and slipped it under his arm, the creature seeming to nod in acknowledgment, "Alright, boys," Wolffe blew the smoke from the barrel of his pistol and glanced down at the battle, the sound of jetpacks preparing for takeoff crackling behind him, "Let's go save some 212th ass,"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!


	94. Movie Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A request from @VanillaChip101 for some clone cuddles :)
> 
> Sorry again for the late post, I'm hell lazy these days

"Hey, guys, guess what I did?" Fives wiggled his eyebrows at his brothers.

"What is it _this_ time?" Rex winced.

"I downloaded a holomovie," he squealed with delight.

"He forgot to mention he did it _illegally_ ," Jesse whispered.

" _Jess_ , we don't need to tell the _Captain_ that," Fives hissed, plopping himself down on one of the mattresses strewn across the barracks floor. Another completed mission, another long journey back to Coruscant, meaning they had a fair amount of downtime. The mattresses had been pushed together to form one giant bed, holding a multitude of brothers along with their Commander. 

"What kind of holomovie is it?" Rex sighed, not especially caring how Fives got it. He, as much as everyone else, had long since grown tired of the lengthy trips back to the Republic capital and longed for something somewhat entertaining. 

"It's a murder mystery," Fives responded, stacking a few pillows against the side of a bunk. He then set the datapad on top and hit play, grabbing the nearest blanket to snuggle back into the pile of clones and a singular togruta. Fives settled in against Echo, resting his head on his batchmate's chest and curling up next to him, "One of the newer ones, actually," Kix was on the other side of the makeshift bed, sprawled out and dead asleep: snores emitting from his half-open mouth. Hardcase, on the other hand, was practically _buzzing_ from how high his energy levels were. He regularly shifted under his blanket, trying to find a comfortable position. Ahsoka laid on her stomach, chin resting on her crossed elbows and feet dangling in the air: excited for the movie. Poor Rex, was clearly wanting to go to sleep, the tell-tale sign being the gray bags under his eyes, and he had to admit; he was already halfway there. Hopefully, the quiet talk of the movie would help lull him into a tranquil slumber. 

\--------------------------------------------------------------------

"I think Cap's out," Fives nudged Echo.

"Oh, yeah, the Commander's out too," Echo pointed to Ahsoka, who was peacefully asleep on her stomach, "I'm going to sleep, so don't annoy me anymore," he shut his eyes and turned his back to Fives, curling up into a ball.

"But you'll miss the _movie_ ," Fives groaned, glancing around to find that everyone had fallen asleep, piled on top of one another and covered in heaps of blankets.

"It's not even that _good_ , vod," Echo grumbled as Fives curled up into his back, deciding he too was going to sleep. The movie droned on as more men joined the piles, lying across each other, limbs poking out every which way. And in the morning they'd all wake up not the least bit tired.


	95. Down By The Banks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thought it would be fun to have the boys play some down by the banks because I have played the c r a z i e s t down by the banks games and let me tell you it is the most stressful and wild game I have ever played. Friends become foes, it's everyone for themself
> 
> If you don't know the game, just search up "down by the banks" and it's like the first thing that pops up. There's a couple of different versions to the song, but this is the one that I learned 
> 
> haha we got a hella early post today cause I decided to pull an all-nighter and now I'm gonna go to bed and probably won't wake up until two so here it is early :)

"Ok, what are we playing, hm?" Kix asked.

"Ok, ok, everyone make a circle," Fives motioned for them to move closer together, "We're playing down by the banks,"

"The hell is that?" Jesse laughed, scooting knee to knee with Rex on his right and Echo on his left.

"It's fun, trust me," Fives sat down beside them, placing his palms up, "Everyone put your palms up and put your left one under the person next to you's, and your right above their left. Like this," he positioned Rex's palm under his own, and Kix's over his other, "I'm gonna sing a song, and you have to slap whoever's hand is next to you, and the goal is to not be the last one slapped when the song ends. Kerplop is the last word, just so you know. Ready?"

"Don't think we have a choice," Rex muttered lazily.

"Alright, let's go," Fives slapped his hand against Kix's starting the round as he began to sing, "Down by the banks in the hanky panky, where the bullfrog jumps from bank to banky," 

"Fives why do you hit so kriffing _hard_ ," Kix hissed as he slapped Tup's hand.

"And why are we going so _kriffing fast?!_ " Hardcase yelped, quickly slapping Dogma's hand.

"Singing eeps, ieps, ops, ohps, one falls in and goes kerplops," Fives finished the song, the final slap landing on Echo's palm, "Echo you're out," he giggled, gesturing for him to get out of the circle which he did so unhappily. Jesse and Hardcase shuffled closer together, filling in the space that Echo had left, "Next round, boys," They continued playing until there was only two left: Fives and Captain Rex himself. 

"What do you do for the last round?" Rex asked, quite excited that he had made it this far and determined to beat the ARC.

"Cross your arms out in front of you," Fives said, Rex following his instruction, "Now I grab your hands, and we move them back and forth like this," Rex pushed his hands out, Fives' arms crossing in the process, "Whoever has their arms in the circle position wins," 

"Ok, let's go," 

Fives started the song, arms moving back and forth, concentration plastered onto both of their faces "One falls in and goes kerplops," 

" _HA_ , take that _bitch_ ," Rex shouted as he stared at his open arms and Fives' crossed ones. 

"Um, what?" Fives whispered, both him and the group a bit confused and surprised at the Captain's sudden outburst

Rex shrugged, still beaming from his victory, "Oh, sorry, I got excited,"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	96. Family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two requests from @Gerstein03 and @Olivia that I combined together :)
> 
> I tied it into a previous chapter I did about the aftermath of Umbara and it's Chapter 28 I think if you want to check it out (Called Scars of Umbara)
> 
> Sorry for the late post again

The gunship was _dead_ silent on their way back to _The Resolute_ , for all of them knew better than to ask if the Captian was alright. Absolutely _no one_ made eye contact, eyes pointed either to the ground or staring blankly at the wall, a gloomy aura floating around the bay of the ship. When they arrived at the Venator, some went along with their respective tasks, whether it be repairing ships or tending to the wounded.

"Take the rest of the day off, go get some sleep," Rex mumbled to his men, knowing that he was going to be close behind them. He didn't have the effort to even _start_ on his reports, nor did he want to mentally relive the past few days. Umbara had taken a toll on the men in a way that no other mission could. 

"Come on, Cap, let's go," Fives grabbed him by the shoulder, pulling him towards the group of men trudging to the barracks.

"Yeah, I'm coming, Fives," Rex mumbled as Fives slung his arm over the Captain's shoulder, walking side by side to the beds that were calling their names. 

\------------------------------------------------------------------

Blaster bolts flew past him, illuminating the dark colors of Umbara. Rex was back in the dense jungle, blasters in hand, breathing hard in the humid air. The scenario felt strangely familiar to him: as if he had already experienced it. Taking the same steps, firing the same shots: everything was just as he remembered. And Rex _knew_ what was to happen in a short time. The realization dawned on him, and he tried to get out, to escape, but his body was forced to move. It was forced to pull the trigger when all he wanted to do was throw the pistol out of his hand. 

_No_

_No_

**_No_ **

_I can't be here_

_I don't want to be here_

Rex pleaded to himself as he spotted the body clad in clone armor strewn across the ground; his helmet slightly pushed off of his head.

_No_

_Please, no_

He begged as he lifted the helmet off the rest of the way, exposing the face of a clone: of one of his brothers. Rex glanced around him, finding the bodies of hundreds of his brothers, all without helmets, their faces bloody and scarred.

_Fives_

_Cody_

_Jesse_

_Kix_

"No, this isn't real," he spoke in disbelief, "They're not dead, they're alive. They're _alive_ ,"

"It would seem not," 

Rex's ears tuned to the deep voice.

"Krell," Rex muttered, on the verge of tears, "How could _you_ do this?!" 

"You're mistaken, Captain," Krell laughed, "This was none of my doing. You are the reason these _clones_ are dead,"

" _No_ , I can't, I _wouldn't_ ," Rex's body trembled as he frantically checked every body for a pulse, his shaking becoming more violent with every non-existent heartbeat he found, "I wouldn't kill my own brothers,"

"Ah, but you _did_ ," Krell's wicked laugh echoed all around him, the words repeating over and over.

_But you did_

_You did_

_You killed them, Rex_

_You killed your own brothers_

\------------------------------------------------------

" _NO!_ " Rex awoke with a yelp, surging up from his mattress and almost slamming his head against the frame above him. His breath was ragged as he sucked in breath after breath. 

_A dream_

_It was just a dream_

He shook his head, trying to get Krell's repeating words to leave his mind. Choking out a sob, he slid the thin blanket over his legs and stood swiftly.

"Rex, are you-"

"I'm fine, Fives," the ARC watched him through glazed eyes as kitted up his armor, grabbed his bucket from beside his bunk, and left without another word.

"Let him go, vod," Jesse pushed an arm over Fives' chest as he tried to follow the Captain, "He needs some space," he glanced at Jesse with worried eyes, reluctantly sitting back down, "He'll come around eventually,"

"That's not what I'm worried about," Fives knew Rex had a tendency to place the blame on himself rather than the ones responsible, thinking that he was held accountable for every wrongdoing that came his way. 

"I know," Jesse bowed his head before he spoke again, "I really thought we were going to die, Fives," his mind reminisced in the memory of standing in front of a dozen blasters with his hands bound behind his back, "I _really_ thought they were gonna do it," Fives didn't answer him as he fiddled his thumbs, eyes unable to meet Jesse's gaze.

"They did the right thing in the end," he muttered, combing a hand through his hair, "They did what they knew was right,"

"Yeah," Jesse huffed, "They did,"

"It makes my skin crawl, Jess. How we were ordered to be executed for _helping_. How he played us _all_ ," Fives scoffed, "I hope that green di'kut went to hell," he let out a muffled laugh.

"Me too, vod, me too," 

"Makes me wonder what the point of all this is. We were made to fight a war that doesn't even make sense,"

"Maybe it will when it's over,"

"Maybe," Fives took a look around him, watching his brothers talk or play cards as if they had all forgotten the previous few days. He knew they hadn't, of course, but it sure looked like it. At that moment, the door slid open torturously slow, revealing Rex and Ahsoka. They slowly padded through the doorway, coming to sit beside Fives and Jesse. From the look on Ahsoka's face, they all knew that she knew. She hugged them each for a long while, and she whispered to them how relieved she was that they were alive. 

"We'll get through it together," she murmured as she turned to Rex, "We're a family. None of us are alone,"

_None of us are alone_

Well, it sure as hell felt like it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!


	97. The Wolfpacks Pt.3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ahhh here is the part 3 taking place directly after part 2 :)
> 
> Big thanks for over 17,000 hits and over 470 kudos, love you guys so much <3
> 
> I have quite a few requests in my list right now, so I apologize if it takes a while to get to yours, I usually go by whichever one is the oldest

"Let's go save some 212th ass," Wolffe smirked, shoving his bucket back over his head. His men howled and cheered as those with jetpacks descended upon the impending chaos, the rest fumbling for their grappling hooks. Numerous heads from below turned upward at the sudden noises, and Wolffe could practically _feel_ the relief pouring from the 212th battalion. As he unclipped the grappling hook from his belt and attached it to the bottom of his pistol, the alpha beside him gave him a nudge on the shoulder.

"Hey," Wolffe stumbled forward, "What was that for?" The wolf huffed and bent his front half onto the ground, "Are you sure?" He nodded, patiently waiting, "Alright. This is gonna make a great fucking story," Wolffe grinned, gently climbing up the alpha's paw and onto his back. The wolf didn't waste a second, bolting through the forest, Wolffe yelping and trying to get a grip on the gray fur. Once he found a steady hold, he flexed his injured arm, stretching it to make sure he could still hold a blaster with it. Once he was satisfied and not in an unbearable amount of pain, he drew a pistol, preparing to reak absolute _havoc_ on the droids below.

They tore through the jungle, two skilled warriors ready for a fight, and it was a sight to see when they finally broke through the treeline. Wolffe came in, guns-a-blazing, while the alpha lunged for whatever droid was closest. The Commander couldn't help but let out a war cry as he watched the shock painted on his troop's visors as he rode past them. On the other side of the valley was Cody: ducking out from behind a rock every so often to get a few rounds off on the quickly advancing droids.

"There," Wolffe pointed, getting the wolf's attention, "We gotta go get him," he let out a harsh breath in understanding, bounding through the middle of the battle. 

"Took you long enough to get here," Cody shouted to Wolffe when he was in range, "I see you brought friends too," 

"It's a long story," Wolffe laughed, "Now, come on, we gotta get out of here," he extended his hand to the Marshal Commander.

"Are you kriffing kidding me? I'm not getting on that thing,"

"Well, I'm not leaving you here, di'kut, _let's go_ ,"

Cody grumbled quite a bit before he grudgingly took Wolffe's hand and was pulled up behind him. Cody wound his arms tight around Wolffe's waist, hanging on for his life as the wolf bounded away.

" _I don't like this_ ," Cody whined, tightening his grip on Wolffe's waist.

"Yeah, well, get over it," 

"I think I'm gonna throw up," 

"That's fine, just don't do it on me," Wolffe mumbled, "Oh, and while you're back there, would you mind _shooting_ something?" 

"Yeah, yeah, I'm on it," Cody unclipped the DC-15S from his utility belt, still desperately holding onto Wolffe with one arm. Up ahead, the two Generals fought side by side, blue lightsabers in hand, deflecting bolts and slicing through droids. 

"Wolffe, I'm glad you were able to make it," Plo said as the two Commanders slid off of the alpha's back, "The entourage is a nice touch, as well," 

"We had a few uh... unforeseen encounters along the way," Wolffe muttered.

"This a lovely reunion, I must admit, but if you don't mind, we _do_ have a _battle_ to win," Obi-Wan reminded them, his annoyance seeping into his tone.

Plo chuckled, "How could I forget, Master Kenobi?"

\-------------------------------------------------------------

"Cody, take your forces through the city and make sure to eliminate any other Separatist forces that might have escaped," Obi-Wan instructed his Commander, who gave him a curt nod and went on his way, "And you, Commander Wolffe, many thanks to you and your men. And to the wolves as well," 

"Yes, it was most impressive," Plo agreed, a satisfied smile spreading across Wolffe's face under his helmet, "Sad to see them go, though," he nodded off into the distance where the pack of wolves watched from the treeline. They watched keenly, almost as if they were waiting for something, then abruptly turned and vanished into the jungle, "Mysterious and beautiful creatures, aren't they?" 

"Couldn't agree more, General,"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading y'all


	98. Commanders' Quarrel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Request from @VanillaChip101 for all the commanders in a meeting
> 
> No plot in this just a 353 worded fic with tired clones and a confused Ahsoka

"Where are the kriffing battle plans, Wolffe?" Cody grumbled, fumbling with the holo table in front of him.

"Don't ask me; I gave them to Bly," Wolffe rolled his eye as he pointed a finger at him.

"You didn't give me shit," Bly deadpanned.

"Yeah, I did, di'kut. I gave it to you at breakfast, _remember?_ " 

"He wasn't even _at_ breakfast," Fox muttered from the corner of the briefing room.

"Wha- why are you here, you're not even going on the mission with us,"

"I couldn't sleep," Fox shrugged, the Commanders giving him concerned looks.

"Don't you have Coruscant Guard duties or something?" Rex inquired.

"No, it's actually my day off," he responded quite happily, "And watching you guys bicker is fun,"

"You're crazy, vod," Wolffe huffed.

"I'm sorry, but what just happened?" For the past few minutes, everyone had seemed to forget that Ahsoka was there with them.

"Happens all the time, kid," Rex said blandly, clearly fed up with the situation at hand. 

"Oh," Ahsoka pursed her lips, awkwardly waiting for someone to fill the silence.

" _Well_ , I'm leaving, now, you all have fun," Fox gave them a smile and wave, turning swiftly once the door opened.

Cody pinched the bridge of his nose, sucking in a deep breath, then composed himself enough to speak again, "So where are the plans?" No one spoke up, glances being thrown around the room, "Oh, come on, does _no one_ have them?"

"You sure _you_ don't have them, Cody?" Ahsoka quirked an eye marking at the Marshal Commander.

"I think I'd know if I had them," Cody scoffed, placing a hand on his hip.

"Well, I don't know about you put that data chip on your belt looks _vaguely_ like something that could have the battle plans on it," Ahsoka pointed to the small black chip sticking out of one of the pouches on his hips. 

Cody fumbled with the opening of the small container and pulled out the small disc, "Very funny, but it's not- oh. It is,"

Wolffe groaned, slapping a palm over his forehead. "Kriffing hells, Cody, get your shit together,"


	99. A Not-So-Friendly Game of Uno

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Brothers to enemies, chaos is unleashed, let uno begin
> 
> Had some fun with this one based on some of my own experiences with uno and let me tell you this game can make or break your l i f e
> 
> Credit to @CobraOnTheCob for the idea <3

"Uno!" Fives giggled, placing a yellow three on top of the pile.

"Kriffing hells," Jesse grumbled beside him, "Anybody got a reverse cause I got a plus-four,"

"Yeah, I got one, vod, you just gotta change it to red," Echo said from the other side of the circle, "But what if he has a draw four too?" He looked over to Fives, who wiggled his eyebrows as a sly grin spread over his face.

"What do you have, di'kut?" Hardcase demanded.

"Hehehe, I'll never tell," Fives' shook with laughter.

Ahsoka shook her head at the ARC, "He has one; he totally has one,"

"Well, what's our move here? Do we reverse it or no?" Jesse watched the group converse with whoever was sitting next to them as they made up their minds.

Once the talking ceased, Rex looked up from the small huddle, answering for everyone, "I think we should plus-four him,"

"Alright, it's confirmed," Jesse placed a wild card down and declared the new color be red so Echo could play the reverse. A five was placed, then a six, then a three, then Echo played the reverse card, "Here we go boys, Fives' reign ends today,"

"About damn time," Kix muttered.

When it reached his turn, Jesse slapped down the plus-four card, announcing that the new color was green, "Draw four, _bitch_ ," Fives gave him a deadly stare as his gaze shifted between Jesse and his final card, building suspense throughout the circle.

"Damnit," Fives whispered under his breath, still maintaining eye contact with Jesse, then drew four cards from the pile.

" _YES_ ," Hardcase erupted, "We got him!" 

"Oh, shut up, I'm still gonna win," Fives playfully stuck out his tongue. The game continued going around, everyone shucking a couple of cards.

"Oh, kriff, I'm sorry Kix, this is the only card I can play," Dogma grimaced as he placed down a draw four, the rest of the group wincing along with him.

"Oh, no worries, vod," the medic chuckled, placing down a draw-four of his own, "This is gonna be a problem for the Commander,"

"I don't think so," Ahsoka slammed down her own plus-four, the group 'ooo'ing at her move. After her, Echo placed down a draw four, then Rex, Hardcase, and Tup.

"How in the _hell_ is it possible for all of you to have plus-fours?! There shouldn't even be that many in the deck!" Fives exclaimed.

"It's cause we're playing with like four decks," Hardcase shrugged, eagerly waiting on Jesse's move.

"What are we up to now? Plus 28?" Jesse snickered, glancing at his hand. If this played out as he hoped it would, poor Fives would be drawing a monstrous 32 cards.

"Yeah," Fives nodded, a bead of sweat trickling down his forehead.

"Well, I'm sorry, Fives, because it's about to become a plus 32,"

" _HOLY KRIFFING SHIT!_ " Hardcase exploded as well as the others, waiting to see if Fives would draw.

Fives set down his hand and picked up a _thick_ stack of cards from the pile in the center, counting out his 32 cards, "This isn't over yet, vod,"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!


	100. Stuffed Stomachs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Little fic of Anakin and Ahsoka making Rex try a bunch of food cause I'm assuming all those ration packs are kinda nasty🤮
> 
> NOTICE:  
> So I've decided to start a series for these one-shots simply because I don't want to put 100+ chapters all in one book (it's a bit overwhelming) so tomorrow I'll be creating a new book and starting over, so those of you who are subscribed won't be getting a notification (i think?) if I make a new book so I just wanted to let you guys know. The new book should be linked to this series and should pop up at the bottom of this chapter when I post tomorrow (the little 'continue the series' button or whatever) or go look in my profile and it'll be there :)
> 
> I also wanted to say a big big big big big big thank you to everyone who has commented, left kudos, read these, everything because all of them have been a big reason as to why I keep writing these, and it makes me so so so happy to know that people read them and l i k e them, so thank you all so much <3
> 
> Now to the fic :)

"Hey, Master, what are you doing up so late?" Ahsoka lifted her head off of the mess hall table when Anakin appeared in the doorway.

"Could ask you two the same question," Anakin chuckled, nodding at her and Rex.

"Well, I asked first, Skyguy," Ahsoka smirked.

"Oh, I was out and about, but that's beside the point," Although that was part of the truth, he couldn't admit he had spent his evening with Padme, and this only added to their suspicion.

"What's in the bag?" 

"A various assortment of fruits and pastries and such," Anakin plopped down next to them, rummaging through the bag and pulling out container after container of delicacies. He _also_ couldn't say that they were leftovers from him and his wife's dinner that Padme said she didn't have room for in her apartment. But they didn't need to know that, "Can't eat all of it on my own, so I thought I'd get some help," 

"Ooo, I'm starving," Ahsoka licked her lips eagerly.

"We ate like an hour ago," Rex huffed.

"Yeah, and?" Ahsoka quirked an eye marking at the Captain.

Rex shook his head, defeated, "Nevermind,"

"Here, I got some starfruit, a couple of oranges, and some horned melon," Anakin popped open the containers, the citrusy scent of the fruits wafting through the air.

Ahsoka inhaled deeply, reaching for a nearby fork and began to dig in, "Ffanks, Master. S'good," she slurred, her mouth stuffed with the colorful fruits, "You should try some, Rex," she pushed the containers towards him.

Rex poked the starfruit with his fork, "Uh, I'm not sure. I've never had them before,"

"Really?" 

"I mean they don't serve it in the mess, so no,"

"Try some, Rex, it's real good," Anakin stabbed a piece of melon and shoveled it into his mouth. 

Rex cautiously picked up a slice of starfruit and gave it an experimental lick, "It's sour," he took a small bite, "But it's good,"

" _See_ , I told you," Ahsoka scoured through the piles of containers, looking for more food to quench her hunger, "Oooo, is this _cake?_ " She pulled out a thin, clear box.

"Yeah, give it a try; it's chocolate," Anakin nodded.

"It's been _so_ long since I've had chocolate cake," Ahsoka snapped off the lid and quickly dug in.

Anakin narrowed his eyes at her, "When did you have the chance to have cake?"

"I may or may not have had some when I was out with Fives,"

"Hmm,"

"Don't worry about it," Ahsoka shrugged it off, shoving the cake over to Rex, who had _completely_ immersed himself in the fruits, "Try it,"

"Mmmmf," Rex muffled, swallowing the fruit stuffed in his mouth before forking off a piece of the cake, " _Kriffing hells_ , this is so good," 

"Just wait until you try the apple pie," Anakin chuckled, "Best thing I've ever eaten in my entire life,"

"I'm gonna be _stuffed_ after this," Rex groaned, still gorging on the chocolate cake.

Ahsoka licked off the frosting coating the outside of the lips, "Nothing wrong with that, Rexster,"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for reading!


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